Wings for Mitsuki
by Renzieyoung
Summary: Kouyama Mitsuki is a Shinigami. It is her duty to retrieve countless souls, as punishment for past crimes. But what happens when a girl with too much heart is unable to do the job? Even more so, how could falling in love with a Human possibly help?
1. The Shinigami World

**Wings for Mitsuki**

Kouyama Mitsuki is a shinigami. It is her duty to retrieve countless souls, as punishment for past crimes. But still an amateur, the naive and simplistic teen seems to only be causing trouble for headquarters. From the very beginning, things seem to go directly out of her favor. But from reawakening memories to falling in love, the new shinigami might find out that life is full of unexpected turns...

>>**Renzie**>>This is my second fanfiction, called **Wings for Mitsuki**. After getting feedback from others and finding some of my faults, I hope that this fanfiction can be a success until the very end! (: I came across the idea of a shinigami Mitsuki when I was sitting at my computer, staring off into space. And then I thought - wouldn't that be great if I wrote a fanfiction on it? And thus, I present to you. Enjoy!

>>**Note**>>Italics for the most part represent what's written down in Mitsuki's journal. Of course, there are other uses for italics like her real thoughts. They're both pretty much the same thing seeing she confides in her journal.

>>**Disclaimer**>>Full Moon wo Sagashite belongs to Arina Tanemura, and no one else. Only the fictional characters have come from my imagination.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Shinigami World**

_It all started with a simple '**I love you.**' Call me crazy, but it's true. I swear it to the shinigami handbook. He was an angel, really. Or, is an angel. If he's still here - watching, that is. Doubt he'd ever be in a place like this. The air is so heavy, it's like a pollution that kills. It's the first time I've ever been so scared to breathe. Sixteen years of my life, and I've never experienced something so traumatizing. After I've arrived in this place, it's like - I don't know. Strange. Weird. I'm still not used to it. But I guess...this is what I deserve, huh?_

"Hey. Kouyama."

An adolescent girl stood beneath the moonlight, soft brown gems shifting to see who had called her name. A thin booklet was strapped to tender hands, and a mechanical pencil was kept loose within the pages.

"Ah...! Sakamura-san, there you –"

"Geez. Must you always keep that bound book with you?" A tall boy stood before her, dark hair shifting with the coming wind. His eyes held a shade of brilliant blue, which in the shinigami world was rather unheard of. He narrowed his gaze, waggling a finger towards her writing tool.

"Quills, woman. Quills! As your guide, I'm saying you mustn't forget. Anything from the _other_ world must be disposed of immediately."

Mitsuki frowned, displeased. She didn't like the way he was emphasizing. He spoke of her home so lowly. Or at least, what _was _her home. Now, this place was home. But just what was...this place? This place...was the closest to hell she'd ever get. Mitsuki lowered her gaze with a small nod, throwing away her pencil with slight hesitation.

"Any others?"

Mitsuki raised her eyes, shaking her head calmly. As the guide smiled with satisfaction, the troubled girl clenched her quivering hands.

_Sorry, Sakamura-san. There's just one thing...that I can't give up. _

"Kouyama, hurry or you'll get left behind!"

"Ah– sorry, coming!" The girl skipped off into the distance, soft brown hair flowing down her back.

-

"Ah–! A newbie huh?"

Mitsuki sat in a small room, her folded hands tightly clasped. The walls were covered with a soft shade of white. If there _were_ shades, that was. The wooden roof that sheltered overhead was lined with bright yellow lanterns - much like the ones you'd see at a festival. According to Mitsuki, the over-decorated room seemed much too cozy for a dorm. But this was something she'd have to get used to. Including her new roommate.

"It's nice to meet you! Guess we're gonna share a room until you get your own bunk, eh?" A cheery girl smiled enthusiastically, waving her hands like a parade. She looked young - maybe even six or seven. "Don't worry about a thing. Even though Sakamura seems cold, he's not such a bad guy. If he's your guide, you'll be savvy in no time!"

Mitsuki tilted her head as mild confusion remained floating through the air. What was a little girl like _that_ doing in a place like _this_? "So I guess, then...you've been around here for a while..."

"Yup, yup." The shinigami folded her hands, a proud expression brightening her features. "I've already been an apprentice for nine years. Going on ten this winter!"

Mitsuki's eyes widened. A...nine-year apprentice? She was so young, but somehow held such a high position. For how long had this person been stuck in the shinigami world?

The child giggled at Mitsuki's expression. "I guess you could say that time stops when you're here. Hm...it's funny, huh? A six year old becoming a god of death. I've lived more of my life in this hell than I have back home."

Mitsuki was silent. At that moment, the young shinigami had such a different expression from the previous one. Her eyes were no longer a delightful shade of happiness. They were glazed over with regret - staring blankly at the snowy walls of her cage. Just what kind of mistake had she committed? It was then that Mitsuki wondered - what did she know about being a shinigami anyway?

"I'm sorry...I get that way sometimes. I should know better than to scare off a newbie!"

Mitsuki snapped back to reality, staring with watchful eyes at the smiling girl. Just like that, the child had returned to her regular mood.

"Being a shinigami really isn't all that bad. Though I may not look it, I'm actually fifteen. Funny, huh? But if I ever do that again, just give me a good whack on the head." The young girl hit herself lightly in demonstration, sticking out her tongue in a playful manner. "Ah! And how rude of me. I'm called Hinako. And you're...Mitsuki, right? I got it from the front desk."

The brown eyed girl nodded her head with a tentative smile. "Yes! It's nice to meet you, Hinako."

A knock on the door echoed through the compacted walls, as the wooden door opened abruptly. Sakamura stood in the doorframe, a golden bow and arrow slung over his shoulder.

"Kouyama, time to go." His stern gaze told Mitsuki she was wise to comply, but the naive girl seemed unable to take the hint.

"Go...? Go where?"

He sighed with exasperation, and right away the girl could see him ticking to his limit.

"Ah – coming, yes." Mitsuki quickly fumbled with the drawers, looking for her precious journal. It was where she wrote everything down. Her thoughts, her worries, and her dreams. But Sakamura only shook his head.

"You aren't going to need those things here. It's just a small collection, so you're better off using your brain rather than your hands." (He's referring to writing)

Mitsuki paused, setting aside her bound journal. A small...collection?

-

"Daiki, look this way - N-No, don't spit it out you little bugger!"

In the human world, a woman laughed with the rich tone of happiness. She lifted her small child into the air, a brilliant smile playing across her lips. And every inch of that expression was filled with love.

"Daddy left on a long trip. But...he'll be back soon."

Her smile looked painful now, as the woman fingered the child's golden locks. The truth was, Daddy had died in a plane crash. But even with all the emotional stress, the woman swore to herself that she would never stop loving her son. Anyone could see that a bond so strong could only be fit for someone with a beautiful heart. In all fairness, she deserved to be with her child. Forever. But life as we knew it, was not always fair.

"Sakamura-san, what are we doing here...?" Mitsuki questioned her guide, following him through the thin walls of a cottage home. He lifted a finger to his lips, cautious eyes turning around the corner.

"Shush. You'll throw off my concentration. Thanks to your dawdling, we arrived late. We'll just need to make this quick."

Make what quick? Mitsuki didn't understand. Frowning, she followed him through the maze of a stranger's dwelling.

"Watch me closely, Kouyama. Approximate timing should be in..."The boy glanced at the sand timer, narrowing his eyes for conciseness. "Thirty seconds...going down twenty."

Only then did Mitsuki realize. Sitting before her, was a woman and her child. But that woman...her face was deathly pale. The brilliant smile that once touched her lips died down into a dull expression. And slowly - ever so slowly, her hands lost grip of the child. A violent cough turned the woman away, and a hand clenched her chest in pain.

Mitsuki stared with wide eyes. And suddenly, an unknown force made her hand reach out and grab the back of his shirt. Sakamura turned around, a spiteful look on his face.

"What are you doing? Now's no time for jokes, idiot. That woman's soul is - "

"Don't..."

"Don't, what?" he asked bitterly.

She could tell from the way he looked at her. Sakamura would never stop to think Kouyama Mitsuki as anything other than a misfortunate annoyance. But it didn't matter. The hand that clenched his shirt only tightened as her lips trembled to speak. "Don't do it. You can't...do it."

'_...Ten seconds,' _she thought to herself.

Suddenly, his grip on the golden weapons loosened and the once stern gaze softened up. "...Mitsuki."

At the call of her direct name, the tender girl looked up in surprise. Why now, of all time to open up? It wasn't like him at all.

"Look..." Sakamura brushed the strands of hair from his face. Time was ticking, and for such a hasty person his facial expression showed no signs of rush. "I'll have you know that I didn't... want to do this either."

Mitsuki felt as if she was holding her breath. Just hoping that somehow...somehow he could stop time. They would leave the family alone, and change someone's life forever. And maybe then, the child could finally live with a mother. Someone to tenderly hold him. A warm bed to be tucked into...and a love that would never die down.

"But some things aren't an option." The boy's once gentle gaze turned strict again, and all was silent except the brutal coughing of a human. "This...is one of those things. Your punishment..." Sakamura clenched his hand, grasping the golden arrow within.

"...will never be an option."

A chill ran down Mitsuki's spine as something stopped inside of her. Something wouldn't allow her to move any further, as the girl could only watch in fright at the following events. Sakamura picked up the weapon, aiming its sharpened point directly at the victim. The woman had fallen to the ground, her eyes closed and heart beating frantically. She had never committed any wrongs; Never done anything to hurt the one she loved most. So then, why did she have to suffer this way...? And how did anyone expect a child to fend for itself? All alone...with no one to hold.

-

-

_After that day, I kept on wondering why I couldn't do anything about it. My knees were shaking back then. So fiercely, that I was glued to the floor. And on top of it all, Sakamura's words pierced me like a blow through the heart. Everyone deserves happiness. I mean - I never even knew that woman. I only...saw her die. So why is it that...these tears won't stop? The pages of this book are getting wet and splotchy. Stupid...now my writing's all messed up._

-

"Sakamura, please detail your explanation."

Standing before a group of hooded individuals, was an angry but collected boy. "I already told you, dammit! That time left a real...deep impression on her. It's going to be chaos making her collect souls after that."

"You should know better than anyone else. There is no option in this."

The guide narrowed blue daggers at the chief, practically grinding his teeth with restraint. "I _know _that."

"But it seems there are still things you have forgotten." The deep voice of a male figure echoed throughout the empty hallway. "For one, learning to control that temper of yours. Don't abuse your privileges so soon."

The boy bit his tongue back, nodding his head stiffly. He hated this. He hated it with a _passion_. And yet, there was nothing in the world he could do. "Yes, sir."

Another one of the head chiefs spoke up, raising a hand in question. "Don't you remember the time when you arrived, Sakamura? What trouble you caused. But look at you now - you have grown wiser and though still the troublemaker, you have begun to outgrow that."

The other men nodded in mutual agreement, as one proposed a new idea. "Why don't we give Kouyama Mitsuki a chance on her own? Pretty soon, she'll learn the twists and turns of becoming a natural."

Sakamura turned his head in an instant, a bit of hesitation arising. "I still don't think-"

"Don't be so quick to respond, Sakamura. At one point, she must learn. What better way than to experience it herself?"

At that point, the outnumbered boy had no say in the matter. Sakamura found his once cross tongue tied against their many skeptical looks. So after consulting with each other, the shinigami chiefs resulted in a final decision.

"Hm. A good task. Straight forward. I suppose she needs to get over this emotionally. And she will, over time." The hooded figure nodded sternly to himself, concealing the information within a small envelope. He handed it to the tentative boy, giving him the directions of deliverance.

"Sakamura. To the girl herself, if you don't mind."

-

"Mitsuki, there's a package for you! Er- envelope, I mean." Hinako walked towards the recipient, turning the envelope over and over again. "Sakamura just came by and delivered it. Looks like something important."

"Eh? Something for me?" Mitsuki smiled eagerly, taking the envelope. But when she saw it, the girl's expression fell with disappointment. What was she expecting anyway? A letter from _him_? As if that would _ever _happen. It **wouldn't** happen. So how many times did she have to keep reminding herself?

Turning her attention to the addressed envelope, Mitsuki noticed that it was indeed "something important." A red seal was pressed against the fold, a bit of excess wax dripping from the bottom. It was marked with a curved _SH_, which Mitsuki could only presume stood for the ever famous "Shinigami Headquarters."

"Yes, yes. So quickly - open it! Maybe it's something special. Like a promotion!"

Mitsuki laughed at her friend's attempt to cheer her up. The girl had been under the weather recently, and was rather aloof in telling Hinako what had happened. Ripping open the envelope, Mitsuki discovered a clean white paper folded inside. Scanning the letter with curiosity, she wondering what it was they wanted. And just like that, the sickening feeling had returned. Because in the envelope, read the words she wanted to hear at the very least.

**_You have been assigned subject #650012:_**

**_Kira Takuto_**

_**Congratulations.**_

_**

* * *

**_It seems there's still many unanswered questions. But like every other story, you're going to have to keep reading :D 

>>And don't forget to leave a review! ;3


	2. Meeting Takuto

**Wings for Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie>>** Chapter 2! This fanfic is getting a little angsty. I can't help it if I get carried away. nn; If any of the readers out there are interested, my other fanfic A Walk in the Park is going through some temporary hiatus. :( Temporary! I've just lost my flame for it, but I'll definitely finish it up. It's just that I'd like to concentrate on this story for now.

>>**Note**>> The song in this chapter is called "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," by Green Day. You might've heard it. It's on T.V. a lot, and it's also a really cool song :) But anyway, I thought it was appropriate for this.

>>**Disclaimer**>> If I owned this series, I'd be raking in money not writing fanfiction.

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**Chapter 2: Meeting Takuto**

_Take a left on La Enza Blvd., Apartment #54 - Level 3. _

Mitsuki looked up from the directions, a softened frown lingering among her features. Taking someone's life...it couldn't be helped. But, she still...

_xxxxxxx_

_"Hinako, I don't...want to..."_

_Sitting in a room were two girls bound by their duties. The younger one had her hands folded calmly, while the other had her own crumpling up an envelope. _

_"Mitsuki..." The voice was soft and reassuring. Believable, too. But that feeling was only temporary until facing the truth._

_"I don't want to take someone's life!" The other voice snapped back, before slowly calming down. "It's not fair. Why can't we just..."_

_"Mitsuki. It's not as bad as it may seem. It'll be alright - 'promise." _

_As the dark haired girl was embraced in a tight hug, her mind was clouded with thoughts. _

_xxxxxxx_

And so, Kouyama Mitsuki ended up doing the unthinkable.

The girl looked up at the sky, her brown locks tumbling down frail shoulders. It was hot. She had to squint her eyes in order to see what lay ahead, which in turn wasn't something she looked forward to. Shallow breaths filled her lungs with hot air. Mitsuki had almost forgotten how warm it was in the city.

Sighing under her breath, she glanced at the oak tree beside her. Just a little rest wouldn't cause trouble would it? And up she went, not sparing another moment of thought.

"Feels nice..."

Mitsuki glanced down at the city people. '_I guess_ _there are some advantages of being a shinigami,_' she thought. She could shout as far and wide as she pleased, and no one could give the young girl strange looks of any kind. But being a partner in death...also had its disadvantages. That was most certain. And on a list of comparison, the cons won by many.

Lifting her head lightly, she turned her view up to the sky. The brown eyed girl remembered another day just like this. Spending it with the person she liked - no, loved most. And those days, were the happiest of all. Lost in thought, the reminiscing soul leaned back.

' _God, if only you had spared me just this once. Is it really such a crime to -_'

Something cut off her thoughts as her world began to shift violently. Without knowing, Mitsuki had leaned back one inch too many. The girl squeezed her eyes shut in that moment before the fall. But when the churning feeling had subsided, she opened her eyes to find herself still above the ground. She hadn't fell. Mitsuki sighed with relief, her heartbeat returning to its normal rate. That was until she found herself locked in the arms of a handsome stranger.

"W-What are -" She squirmed out of the figure's grasp, quickly backing up a couple steps. A flustered Mitsuki revealed herself in an instant, as a bright shade of embarrassment coated her cheeks. The girl hadn't expected such a light landing, let alone being caught by someone.

"Ah...sorry. Didn't mean to scare you like that."

Her heartbeat... it was still so quick. Was it really from the scare, or maybe...from the sight of her savior? His dark hair was gathered into the back, soft brown eyes gesturing an apology. The boy wasn't much taller - perhaps only by a foot.

"Are...you okay?"

Mitsuki stepped out of her daze to see the boy watching blankly. The teenager shook her head in embarrassment. He had probably caught her oggling at him. She was such a weirdo.

"No... I mean - yes! Yes, I'm okay." Mitsuki took another step back. One more might just drop her off the face of the earth. "I-If you don't mind, I'd better be going now."

"Hey, wait a -"

The stranger reached out in protest, but the mysterious girl had already run off.

_-_

Mitsuki stopped at the farthest block, catching her breath from the long run. Goodness. Why did these things always happen to her? But on another note, the teenager had better get to work. As she looked up, a passing business man wavered into view. "Ah...excuse me. Do you know where -"

And then, she remembered. No one from the human world was to see her. This girl was to be eternally punished. Always and forever. They were two of the most promising words, but also those tainted with such misery. Kouyama Mitsuki was a shinigami. How could she ever forget?

The brown eyed girl lowered her head, a lip quivering in remembrance. And then it hit her. The boy who had saved her. Had he not spoken? Had he not touched her? Had he not seen what **wasn't** there? It was then that one phrase lingered in her mind.

'_Kira Takuto._'

_-_

A hesitant girl knocked on the door of an apartment room. With a hint of trouble, she had managed to find the place in which this 'Kira Takuto' lived.

"Coming!"

Mitsuki fidgeted at the familiar voice, her feet daring her to run away. But the nervous girl had run out of time. For the door had opened, and there stood a very surprised boy.

"You...you're that girl..."

He blinked, suddenly aware of her nervous reaction. A hand silently reached behind the back of his head, as a gaze shifted elsewhere. "Eh. Sorry about that. Is there...something you need?"

Mitsuki twiddled her thumbs idly. "Um..." What was she supposed to say? 'I'm sorry but I've come to take your life'? There was an awkward silence until the girl spoke again. "You...really don't need to apologize."

He gave her a simple glance that seemed to ask, 'Hm. Is that so?'

"If anything,_ I_ should be apologizing." Well that seemed to be a pretty valid explanation seeing she ran off in fright/frustration/embarrassment/all of the above. And just of someone trying to help.

He gave a muffled laugh, secretly remembering the look on her face. "Don't worry about it. Oh, that reminds me - I didn't catch your name."

She glanced up at him, tilting her head lightly. "It's Mitsuki...Kouyama Mitsuki."

"Mitsuki, huh? Like the moon." He smiled softly, nodding his head. "Unfortunately I'm nothing quite as nice. Just Takuto."

Instead of smiling back, the adolescent girl glanced away. She knew that much already. Mitsuki knew many things about her subject that he would've never guessed. After all, it was "required" in the shinigami world. But it was a shame. Although the girl knew so much about him, Kira Takuto knew nothing about her.

"It's...nice to meet you, Takuto."

"Likewise." He glanced at a the watch on his wrist, widening his eyes in surprise. "Ah, I've gotta get going. Someone's preforming at the coffee house today."

"Can - Can I come with you?"

He looked up from the time to glance at the insisting girl.

"Ah - I mean, I'd like to see them too. I...haven't been here in a while." Mitsuki smiled half heartedly as Takuto nodded in agreement. To follow her subject like a shadow. That was part of her job. And nothing more, right?

_-_

The room was large, but all the more space for visitors. It was fairly dim, so the light could be focused on the musicians up stage. Sturdy balconies welcomed the second level, and modern fixtures brimmed the ceiling. People were everywhere. (A/N: Right. It's a...big coffee house.) Mitsuki and Takuto sat at a table in the corner, watching the red curtains unravel.

"Takuto, do you come here often?" Mitsuki felt like a foreigner as she stared wide-mouthed at the place.

Once again, he could only chuckle at her expression. "Mm. Almost every Saturday. Something about listening to this music is calming."

The girl nodded to agree, though she hadn't listened herself. But when she _did_, it left her no excuse to say otherwise. A fit of applause erupted from the audience as a band of musicians came up stage. Soon all went silent, and the chords of thought provoking lyrics filled the air.

_I walk this empty street  
On the boulevard of broken dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
and I'm the only one and I walk alone _

Mitsuki took a moment to glance at the companion beside her. Takuto was smiling.

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone _

_I'm walking down the line  
That divides me somewhere in my mind  
On the border line  
Of the edge and where I walk alone_

Mitsuki stayed silent. It was as if any one noise would break the intriguing words. The last chords of the song strummed to, and a cheering audience broke through her thoughts. The girl smiled tentatively, her own applause being drowned out by the rest.

_-_

"Looks like we came on a good day."

The two walked along the paved road, which to Mitsuki felt like the longest walk ever. She had to tell Takuto sooner or later. But the thing was, she would rather tell him 'never' than 'later'. Or worse...sooner. But wouldn't it only make things worse if he never found out? If Takuto...never found out Mitsuki was a shinigami? Or even...that he was to die? It could fix all of her problems. But eventually...

Realizing the silence of her reply, the girl quickly snapped 'fro. "Y-Yea, I really didn't expect something so deep."

He glanced at her with a look in his eyes. It made Mitsuki think he could almost...see right through her. That he had everything figured out. That was until a casual voice broke through in a blunt "What school do you go to?"

The teenager blinked, obviously taken aback.

He gave a little shrug, turning his gaze back ahead. "It was just a thought that crossed my mind. You're in highschool...right?"

The brown-eyed girl lowered her head meekly with a short "Um."

She wanted to sit him down and say '_I don't go to school. I don't go to work! I'm just another wandering soul. Get it through your head and please, please save me the trouble! _' But that...would only make things more complicated. Words had a crude way of letting themselves be twisted and turned into something nasty.

An small, internal gasp came from the boy beside her, as Mitsuki quickly turned to his skeptical look.

"W-What?"

"...You're not in junior high, are you?"

Blank...stare.

"No! Of course not!" The girl covered her embarrassed face with a hand, wondering if she really looked like a junior high kid. Of course, her thoughts couldn't drown out the laugh coming from Takuto himself.

"Hah. Sorry, sorry. When you didn't respond I got a little worried. Imagine bringing a middle schooler to some place like that!"

Mitsuki withdrew her hand, pulling it down beside her. She _was _in high school. Just not...

"Takuto...listen." The teenager closed her eyes, as the two stopped at the curb. The dark haired boy glanced at her in light response. "I'm not...I'm not who you think I am."

There was no avoiding it.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, giving her one of those weird looks. "You're Mitsuki."

"No, I'm not...Well. I am, but...this is..." She clenched her frail hands, opening her eyes enough to see the cars racing by. "...this is something different."

It was different. Very different.

"Mitsuki, I'm not sure if I understand what you're talking about."

She shook her head. He didn't...not at all. How could he? She had a loss for words, it seemed. So all Mitsuki could do...was show him what she meant. They always say that the first step is the hardest. But when the teenager hadn't even begun to lift her foot, the ugly feeling of fear surrounded her. It was stupid. Someone who had died once...could never die again. She closed her eyes tightly, as Takuto's widened in alarm.

And then, it all seemed to go by in a rush. The dull spectrum of colors, the honking of cars, the...shouting of Takuto's voice. And how exactly, did these violent events occur? When Kouyama Mitsuki had suddenly run into the street - directly in line of a coming car.

The impact...there was no impact, per say. Only the dazed fear in her heart as a car sped right through her.

"Mitsuki!"

She glanced to the side, seeing Takuto holding up the cars as he quickly approached. A quick batter of her heart let Mitsuki forget about the current situation. Who wouldn't falter a bit? ...When there was someone that didn't think twice about saving you? The vehicles were swerving and breaking, but the boy didn't turn to look. He made his way through the honking cars, catching his breath beside her.

"Crazy girl - what are you doing!"

His harsh words broke through the silence, as Mitsuki noticed things she hadn't before. Her knees were shaking like a leaf. It almost felt as if her legs would drop out from under. Even though the girl had already become a slave to the underworld, the pain was still so real. The rush of fear still hurt so much. But the worst part...the worst part was that nothing happened. No real pain. Just...that brittle churn inside her heart. And that feeling inside is worse than any sickness, or any curse.

"...God, you're shaking."

She winced at his touch, as the boy pulled back in surprise.

"Mitsuki...just exactly..."

The girl looked away. Her brown eyes couldn't bear that look. The look of confusion...or was it disappointment, she wondered? If Takuto had known she was already dead, would he bother rushing to her side?

"Hey, you kid! What do you think you're doing!" An angry police officer approached, pulling the dazed boy out of the cross section. "Didn't your parents teach you anything!"

"Sorry about that..." Takuto shook his head apologetically. The others...couldn't see what he saw. Not the invisible girl beside him - Kouyama Mitsuki.

"I was just trying to protect someone."

_-_

_-_

_Thinking back, that was such a stupid thing to do. It's been a few days now, and I only chose to travel the harder road. I'm always messing up. But how can I help it? Sometimes I wonder if there's something I've ever done right... maybe not. But I still have to go back there. Back to Takuto and...explain everything. And that, is something far worse._

"Kouyama!"

Mitsuki sat in her dorm room, lifting a pair of troubled eyes from her journal. Sakamura stood by the entrance, burning gaze in question.

"How'd it go?"

She smiled tenderly, nodding her head in reassurance. "Fine." Simply put.

"Feh. Good." He sighed lightly. Maybe out of relief. "Just...don't forget the collection date."

"...Yea." Mitsuki waved a small goodbye as the door closed shut. And in the comfort of her own emotions, the girl hugged her knees tighter than she ever had. Kouyama Mitsuki still had a lot of explaining to do.

_-_

The young girl let out a tender sigh, as a warm breeze ruffled the leaves. She was sitting on yet another tree branch, in the world where she couldn't be seen. Only one boy that she knew of. Kira Takuto, he was called. The girl fiddled with the tips of her hair mindlessly, running through those endless thoughts. Just...once more.

Suddenly, the teenager frowned with disappointment. "Really..."

Mitsuki realized that ever since that day, these troublesome thoughts seemed to be eating her away. They were all that ever crossed her mind. The girl grumbled softly. She was tired. Couldn't she think about anything else?

And as if right on cue, a familiar voice called out from behind. "Hey...! Figures you'd be here."

Mitsuki jerked her head around. Takuto! And it was _deja vu_ all over again. Seemed that the teenager had almost fell off the branch in surprise. _Almost_. If it weren't for the arm that caught her at the last minute. The boy's mouth curled upwards, even letting out a little laugh.

"Really - didn't we go through this already?"

She laughed softly, nodding her head. Mitsuki propped herself back onto the branch, as the boy clutched onto the ends idly.

"Takuto...you know..." She smiled frailly, a pained expression in her eyes. "I..."

"You don't have to say it, if you don't want to."

Mitsuki blinked, obviously surprised. She turned her gaze to see him staring straight ahead.

"You don't have to say _anything_, unless you feel like it. Since that day, I've been thinking about...what you were trying to tell me." Takuto brushed the hair from his face, letting the hand linger upon his forehead. "Don't...think I'm crazy or anything, but are you..." He turned his gaze to face her.

Mitsuki stuttered in her own silence, fumbling with the words that wouldn't come out.

"Are you...here to take my life?" He could tell right away from the paled expression on her face. Kira Takuto, had guessed dead on.

"...A-Ah. Yes, I mean...I don't want to. It's just...I..."

Suddenly, he smiled. The expression she had expected least.

"Silly girl, Don't act like it's your fault...It really isn't."

And like music to her ears, his words somehow...gave Mitsuki a sense of reassurance. Like everything...was going to be fine. The girl swallowed, her eyes burning to his.

But what was so fine...about this fluttering in her chest?

* * *

Long chapter, sorry. Thanks all for the nice reviews! You may not think it makes a difference, but let me tell you - it does.

>>Support me and my crazy imagination by leaving a review :D


	3. Stirring Up Trouble

**Wings for Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie**>> Yes. We're starting the day off with lots of Sakamura. nn' If you thought he was a temporary show, think again. Sakamura is indeed one of the main characters. So is Hinako. But in a much...softer influence, I guess. I like writing with Sakamura a lot. He's an easy character to stick to. I guess Takuto can also be very hostile, but as we all know, he has a kinder and caring side. x) Guess I still have to work on writing personalities. Never did like them much.

>>**Disclaimer**>> Here I am, sitting in front of my old Dell. Trying to think up a witty disclaimer that isn't so witty. And at the same time, wishing I owned this amazing series. Which I don't, mind you.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Stirring Up Trouble**

"Ah! This is perfect!"

Mitsuki smiled to herself, twirling a feathered quill between her fingers. It was a snowy white, dappled with few spots of brown. One of a kind, you might say. The girl paused momentarily, before snatching an additional few off the rack. Wearing her inward smile, the bright hearted girl neared the line to purchase.

_-_

"Mm..." Standing in the head of a much longer wait, wavered a hesitant Sakamura. Finally, he had gotten his lunch break. But what to do with it?

_'Have a hell of a time deciding on coffee,_' he reasoned. That was, if he actually made the decision.

"Hey kid, you're holding up the line."

The irritated Shinigami glanced up at the remark, an icy gaze making good contact. Or perhaps Sakamura was just reading the wall menu. Whatever it was, the cashier seemed to have backed down.

Another sigh emitted, a finger gesturing at his top options. God dammit. At this rate, he would end up buying them both.

But seriously. The things here were ridiculously priced, and twice as ridiculously named. "Shinigami Surprise"? Now what the hell was that? To this day, it still amazed him how they came up with such gruesome titles. But who was complaining? People needed their goddamn coffee. Sakamura finally settled with the original mocha. No dumb, frilly words. As he walked outside, a quick padding of footsteps could be heard. It was her, again.

"Sakamura-san!"

The boy turned his gaze to see a fair skinned maiden coming from the stationary store. She looked happy - maybe even giddy. A definite 'no' on his list, but it was nice to see her getting more comfortable. The one known as Mitsuki finally caught up, a tiny smile forming on her delicate features.

"It's a surprise to see you here! I was just picking up some things from the store," she remarked, lifting her brown paper bag sheepishly.

Sakamura raised the mocha in a blunt reply of, "Coffee."

"Ah, I see!" Her smile didn't falter for a moment as she shifted in her position.

"You seem to be in better spirits today," he remarked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Heh, you noticed? Well, I guess things_ are_ improving."

Sakamura nodded. Things couldn't have gotten much worse. After her terrible incident with the collection, and with her strong passion of living, Mitsuki must've had a rough transition. After all, becoming a shinigami was not for the weak. As the boy watched her blabber on, something crossed his mind. To be a shinigami meant more than just a title.

...It meant you were punished for doing something wrong.

"Sakamura-san?"

He quickly reverted his gaze, eyes questioning her in return. Mitsuki blinked in surprise, instantly waving her hands in denial.

"Ah - it's nothing. You were spacing out there for a moment." She let out a quick laugh under her breath, before rustling the paper bag. "Before I forget..."

Smiling, the girl pulled out a feathery quill. Her original intentions had been to buy one for herself. But after arriving, Mitsuki wanted to purchase something for her friends. She handed it to him proudly, as Sakamura reached out and took it. Then of course, he gave her a skeptical look.

"It's a quill!"

He only stared at Mitsuki weirder, making sure the girl clearly understood. "I know that, stupid."

"And its...for you!" she added with a smile.

"I know that, too."

When she stared at him in confusion, Sakamura picked it up as his cue to explain. He pointed to the attached tag, glancing at her solemnly. "Something wrong with this?"

Mitsuki began to laugh, knowing what she had done. The card of paper strung over the top was printed with a bright yellow smiley face. A classic. Although somehow, she hadn't expected him to pick up on it right away.

She gave an expression that matched the tag - solid and happy. "Sakamura-san is never smiling. Maybe when you see this, you'll start to more often!"

Now in any case, the hot-headed shinigami was likely to become...well, irritated. But after seeing through her simple view on life, and the simple reasons behind it, ...who could get mad? Sakamura stared, eyes watchful of her strange behavior.

"Heh. Maybe not." Mitsuki smiled. Just smiled. "Well, I've got to get going. See you later, Sakamura-san!" And with that, the girl set back on her way home.

Sakamura cringed for many moments, but couldn't deny...the smile that soon crossed his lips. Or the small chuckle that emitted.

"Stupid girl."

_-_

Mitsuki trailed down the long dorm halls, gesturing a count with her fingers. "Hm...that makes three. So next is...Hinako!" She imagined how her friend would react, the girl's tiny frame jumping up and down.

'Oh Mitsuki, darling! You're the sweetest thing! Heeheehee. I'll put it on my dresser right now,' she would say. Mitsuki laughed, a smile crossing her lips.

It turned out that her prediction wasn't far from the truth. What Hinako said went something like this:

"Oh Mitsuki! Something for little ol' me? You're so sweet! Kya-a-a! I have the perfect place to put it too!"

Mitsuki smiled, pleased with her roommate's reaction. "I'm glad you like it!"

The quill Hinako received, was at least half the size of a regular one. It probably belonged to a small bird - an infant, maybe. Mitsuki figured it suited, seeing a cute and tiny quill matched well with a cute and tiny person.

"How could I not love it?" she squealed, jumping like a kid. Well...she was, in a sense.

As Hinako scurried around the room, Mitsuki shuffled the bag. Two quills remained, one which belonged to her. The last one was for...

_-_

"Takuto?"

A short knock came at his door, but no one was there to answer. Discovering the boy had left it open, Mitsuki took the privilege of coming in herself. She didn't have to use the entryway, of course. Shinigami's had certain powers that allowed them to go through walls. But it was still uncomfortable. "Feels icky," or so she had explained to him earlier.

"It's Mitsuki!"

Still no answer.

The girl blinked, twirling the ends of her soft brown locks. It had been a week since they met; Maybe two. Takuto never seemed to mind - maybe even gotten used to her barging in. It was a pretty standard procedure every day.

The teenager strolled along the carpeted floor, idle thoughts capturing her senses. He understood for the most part. That his life was to be taken, by none other than Mitsuki. But the thing was...

She sat down in a chair, catching a glimpse of two tickets lying on the counter. Smiling as she brought them closer, Mitsuki read the title. They were passes for that same coffee house.

...The thing was, Takuto treated her like a person. Not the stranger Mitsuki imagined he would. Normally if you were in contact with a soul, wouldn't your feelings differ? Yes, of course they would. _Normally_. So knowing that he didn't...brought a very nice feeling.

Becoming more aware of Takuto's absence, she glanced up at the clock.

"W-What? 1:30, already?" The teenager blushed at her forgetfulness, fumbling around mindlessly. How could she forget? Shinigami time was behind schedule by 3 hours!

Mitsuki sighed, feeling useless. She was supposed to _follow_ her subject. Not wait in his house staring at the clock. Picking herself off the chair, the girl paced back and forth through the rooms. She had no clue where he went. There had to be some kind of time frame he kept. A planner? A memo book? Something?

Then, that "something" caught her eye on the fridge. Mitsuki quickly scampered forward, pulling a note from the magnet.

_**-Mitsuki,**_

_**By the time you get here, it'll probably be around 2 or something. I'll be at school, so just hang out. Schedule below, snacks in the fridge. You're a big girl, you can handle it. **_

**_8:30 - 3:30:Yobiko High School_  
_3:40 - 4:00(Wednesdays): Club meeting_**

Mitsuki pouted with a small 'Hmph.' He acted like her dad or something. Sometimes, Takuto forgot she was his shinigami. His shinigami...

The girl let a frown slip out, realizing something odd. Was it possible...that Mitsuki had begun to accept the facts?

...No, couldn't be.

_-_

"Kira Takuto, please solve questions A - E."

A boy turned his gaze from the window, a calm expression written along his face. A lavender tie was knotted tight to keep his dark hair from falling. Takuto glanced forward at the impatient teacher, before standing from his seat. As he approached the board, minor thoughts clouded his mind. But nothing that could distract him well enough from the problem. That was, until the boy saw something strange in the corner of his eye. Changing views, Takuto found the "strange something" to be none other than Mitsuki. His eyes widened, and the chalk piece slowly came to a halt.

"Something wrong?"

"N-No. Nothing." Takuto coughed, sneaking a glance at the girl in the doorway. Mitsuki looked...well, a series of things. A little cross, a little smug, a little unsure, a little 'You thought you could leave me behind? Think again!' He managed to refrain from chuckling, but couldn't resist a little smile.

Mitsuki was content...until she walked across the room. All student eyes were on the board one time or another. So it definitely brought a weird feeling as they stared straight through her. The girl fumbled nervously, making way to her subject's desk. She found a seat on the smooth edge, watching Takuto from afar.

"Correct. You can sit down now."

Takuto walked over to his desk silently. His gaze paid no attention to the invisible girl, knowing very well that trouble would stir if he did. But as the boy took a seat, Mitsuki couldn't help but start a conversation.

"Your school is a maze, you know that? Finding you took forever."

He smothered a laugh, shaking his head. Takuto's gaze was focused on the board, but his mind was wandering to the girl beside him. And under the teacher's rumbling voice, he murmured a quiet, "Well, coming to school wasn't exactly the plan."

She huffed, shifting as the teacher droned on. "Well, staying home wasn't exactly _my _plan either."

"Well, maybe you should change your plans from now on."

"Well, maybe _you _should learn to cope."

"Well, _maybe_ I don't have to give you those tickets..."

"Well, maybe...-_-_ what?-! Not fair!" Mitsuki squirmed as Takuto smiled straight ahead.

But the joke didn't last for long, as he sensed the gloomy atmosphere. "Eh...I was just kidding. The tickets are for you," he blurted out.

And as expected, the clouds disappeared and the sun began to shine from the girl behind him.

_-_

School went on, carrying its boring and hectic ways as usual. But you've never gone to school with Shinigami Mitsuki, now have you? Lucky Takuto was the first to experience this. Take biology for example...

"Everyone, **evacuate **from the building!"

Or maybe...he wasn't so lucky, after all.

Rewind, and discover Mitsuki had accidently knocked over some chemicals. Some very, bad chemicals. And thus, creating a fire. The room soon became a frenzy, as wild teenagers panicked in the face of danger. Except for the few that found flames_ exciting_, most of the students were scared out of their wits.

Amazingly, the teacher managed to get every person out safely. It was rather lucky that the fire was small. Had it been any bigger, the school could've had a problem. The high schoolers were called out to a serene area, as a couple people extinguished the wavering flame. And amidst the battering commotion, stood Mitsuki and Takuto looking a little uncomfortable.

"I swear, it was an accident!"

"Mitsuki, that was really _-_-"

"-_-_ I know, I know. Dangerous!" The teenager frowned, her eyes lingering to the floor.

Takuto sighed, as a hand brushed the bangs from his forehead. "...At least no one got hurt."

Mitsuki's gaze never left the ground. As she opened her mouth to say something, the teacher's booming voice washed out her own. "Class will be dismissed early, due to these string of events."

Cheers came from a couple students, but the rest scurried off to retrieve their books.

"_-_- Oh. And Kira Takuto, please report to the office a.s.a.p."

The two teenagers exchanged glances, seeing the same confused expressions.

_-_

Mitsuki paced slowly outside the office door. Her fingers were twiddling subconciously, knowing Takuto was inside. It wasn't his fault. If anything, he was trying to _prevent _the accident from happening. But it did, and now...now...? Mitsuki paused as a wonderful idea intertwined with her thoughts.

'_Yea...! _' she thought. '_That's exactly what I'll do. Just go in and explain to everyone what happened..._'

She smiled, feeling a little proud. But that pride didn't last for long, when Mitsuki realized there was a little...fault in her plan. She whimpered in disappointment, brushing a foot against the floor.

'_At times like these, being a shinigami isn't so fun_.'

An opening door sounded through the hallway, as two figures emerged. Mitsuki turned her head just in time to see Takuto walking out. Followed by the classroom teacher.

As the contracting door shut loudly, Mitsuki watched with eager eyes. The mentor was sighing, with a look she couldn't quite comprehend.

"I apologize for the mess today. You really are lucky in a situation like this."

The boy forced a smile, nodding his head in understanding. "Yea. Thanks a lot. Would you tell the staff members that I'm sorry?"

"Will do." The teacher waved a goodbye as he re-entered the room.

And then...silence. Mitsuki fidgeted in place, her gaze most obviously avoiding his. She wondered if Takuto was mad. Or would he just shrug it off? She followed him silently through the hallway, aware he had taken the blame. Her thoughts were suddenly cut short, when her subject was the first to speak.

"...Hm. That actually went better than I expected."

The girl looked up, searching his eyes for some negative emotions. She found none...it was only the usual Takuto. So despite her cracking voice, Mitsuki quietly whispered, "What...happened?"

"Nothing much. They asked me a lot of questions, but I guess I'm off the hook. It was an accident, after all."

The two left the school building, soon greeted by the blinding sun. Mitsuki kicked a rock on the ground, a frown barely seen against her lips. "Mm...Sorry about that."

She turned around, only to answer Takuto's soft gaze. "It's alright. It was an _accident_, remember?"

"But... - No, really," she insisted. "I should've stayed home! I'll only cause trouble here at school. Trouble for everyone, and trouble for you..."

"**Yea.**"

"...I could've at least prepared. I know I should've listened to you, but I was curious. And...what?_-_!" She gave him a questionable glare as he laughed.

"Eh, why are you looking at me like that? You never would've stopped if I didn't do something!" He put a hold on the chuckle to give her an inquiring look. "Am I wrong?"

She flushed from the truth, turning away. She could _see _that smug look on his face. "Yes. You're absolutely wrong."

He shook his head, a light smile forming. "Yea, yea. We've heard it before."

"Hmph." She stopped the small grudge as a thought rushed to mind. "Oh, the quill!"

"...Quill?"

"Yea!" Mitsuki opened the paper bag, a buoyant smile lighting her face.

"Oh...! I was wondering why you were carrying that thing all day." Takuto watched in curiosity before she handed him the feathery object.

"It's from the Shinigami World! I had to sneak one out, since there's strict rules."

He laughed, twirling the quill in his fingers. "You really are crazy, you know that?"

_-_

_It's been a while since I've written in my journal. It's been busy, and sometimes I'm not around. Maybe I should move this diary to Takuto's apartment. Lately, I seem to be there more and more often. _

_On a change of subject, there's something that I've noticed. The Shinigami World...is really different from the Human World. The people, especially. Many of the Shinigamis here have a cold attitude about everything. It's like they've been hurt, and ended up harboring feelings of grief. I guess it's to be expected, but sometimes I encounter it more than I should. _

_(Is it strange that I'm noticing just now? After all, I've been here for almost a month.)_

_Now Humans on the other hand...t__hey carry few worries. I can't deny that I'm a little bit envious. I feel like when you're a Shinigami, it's so much harder to forget scars of the past. Am I allowed to move on through punishment? I mean, I barely know where I stand. I feel like a human, I look like a human, but I'm not...anymore. Why isn't anything simple for once? Why can't I just understand?_

_When will Kouyama Mitsuki stop asking such stupid, stupid questions? _

_-_

"Sakamura, could you spare a moment?"

The shinigami turned around, his blue eyes melting on the chief's impassive gaze. It was late at night, so there weren't many around. "Yes, Sir...is there something you need?"

"Mm. Well." The figure paused, as if recalling something in his mind. "Yes, actually. Kouyama Mitsuki..."

Sakamura twitched, as the chief eyed his reaction suspiciously. Sakamura _never_ reacted. "_Kouyama Mitsuki_...Her files aren't quite complete. The addition of her past is only roughly sketched. Must've gotten lost, the darn things."

The shinigami nodded, but curiosity of the unknown ignited inside him. Was he...intruding? No, couldn't be. It just came with the job.

"Good, then. I expect you'll return everything to its original state."

His boss exited, leaving Sakamura to thoughts of his own. Mitsuki's...past?

* * *

Yes! I finally got this chapter done. I had lots of stuff to do this week, and it kept on getting in the way of my writing time :( So how'd you like it? Was it a good third chapter? I really loved everyone's reviews, by the way :) 

>>So leave me a review...because I love you! And because I just...rhymed.


	4. An Unspoken Past

**Wings for Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie**>> Mitsuki's past revealed :) I thought it might be a little quick to release, but I guess it doesn't matter much. A few transitions, that hint at things. You _might _pick them up, but they're not real obvious.

>>**Disclaimer**>> Unfortunately, I don't own FMwS :( Maybe when I'm old and retired I'll spend my life savings on buying it...or maybe not.

* * *

**A/N: Please note that in this chapter, the story switches off with past and present.**

_Italics : _(Mainly) Mitsuki's Past  
Regular Text : Present Tense

Okay, I know this belongs up there, but I just want everyone to **read this**. It's not that important - just something I feel like sharing. Three years ago, I had this really strict humanities teacher. She was reading "The Hobbit" out loud, but I wasn't interested. To me, it was a very boring book(Don't take offense if you like it nn; ). It's such a _thick _book. Like - who'd ever want to read that? And she said...

"The author of this book spent **years** writing this story. Next time when you pick up a book, don't skim through it. For all the time this person dedicated, can't you spend a day of your time to appreciate it?"

Just some words of wisdom that I'll remember forever. :) So, anyways...

**Chapter 4: An Unspoken Past**

_Everyone has a past. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. But a thing so common, is often overlooked. No one can understand it but you. When people pass you on the streets, they don't realize what you've been through...They don't realize any of it. _

_When Obaa-chan passed away, I was promptly adopted by a woman in her early thirties. Satsuki, I think her name was. A skinny brunette with eyes so green, they could blind a whole country. At first glance, you'd think she plays the "Evil Step-mother" in Cinderella. High cheekbones, too much make-up, clothes that never really "worked."_

_How wrong I was. _

_With her golden heart, my foster mother was almost the complete opposite. Before meeting her, I was just a burden to my relatives - a package on their doorstep. Hence, I refused to be taken in and decided to wait. At least until someone wanted me._

_That was how I ended up with my foster family. __But even as I started my new life, I didn't talk much with the other kids. Sakurai Eichi, was an exception. _

_I met him in the summer of my 14th birthday. He was four years older, making him an adult and me a child. Eichi was the one who made me feel comfortable. When I first met him, we connected right away. He had a gentle face. His hair was an even colored blonde, and his smile...oh god - his smile. For the whole two years we were together, I don't think I could ever resist it._

_Eichi came from a well-off family in Japan, somewhere. He was abandoned as a child, so he teamed up with Satsuki early on. I guess it's one of those attachment things. Most of Satsuki's foster kids left once they became old enough to support themselves. But not Eichi. I asked him about it once, and he told me with a smile that everyone here was "family." It was impossible for him to leave the place he belonged. _

_After that, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved...Eichi was here to stay. _

_He was, after all, irreplaceable..._

_-_

"...Takuto, what are you doing?"

"Eh - this? Studying. What does it look like?"

Mitsuki blinked as her eyebrows slowly went up. "Well, _actually_. You've been making grunting sounds for the past two hours. Like...'Umph' and 'Gruh'" She tipped her head to the side, catching sight of his paper. "And _that _looks like doodling."

The boy glanced down at his "artwork" before brushing a hand through his bangs. "Well, you know. I've never been good with poetry."

Just out of curiosity, the shinigami bent down to sneak a peek. "What? Takuto this is the easiest thing I've ever seen! You don't understand this?"

He shook his head with a scowl. "Of course it's easy to you. I'm sure girls spend all their time swooning over poetry."

"T-That's not true, moron. We just have a better sense of understanding these...things."

He gave her a look. _The _look.

And that's all that it took, to make Mitsuki flush. Well, whose fault was it that poetry was beautiful and addicting and...and...breath-taking ?-! It was like the melody to a song - soft and elegant. Yet at the same time, leaving such an impression. Mitsuki snapped back to the conversation, as Takuto watched eagerly. "N-Nevermind, that."

"So..."

"So...?"

Takuto smiled, leaning his head back. "Are you gonna help me, or what?"

"H-Help you...?" Mitsuki looked at him strangely. "No way, you're on your own!"

Takuto drummed his fingers on the table quietly. He was glancing up, as if to search his mind for an idea. "Mitsuki, you're my favorite shinigami."

"Ahem...don't try that with me. I'm your _only_ shinigami."

"And I'm your _only_ subject," he retorted with a smug smile.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mitsuki gave him a confused look, before letting out a sigh. "Rrg, fine. Why do I get roped into these things?"

Takuto only replied in a laugh.

He managed to stumble through the entire poem - with her help, that was. In the end, the boy was more than grateful and even offered to treat her somewhere. Mitsuki refused at the time.

For she was already heated by his smile. '_Oh great,_' she thought mentally. Why was it she always succumbed?

The little things he did to her...

_-_

_Being so dense, I wasn't able to figure it out. Why were all these things happening? He was just nice...a very nice person. So why the mixed emotions? The feeling like I was hiding something important from myself. I had never heard of a "fluttering chest" syndrome, but maybe - just maybe, -...I was coming down with the symptoms. _

_When I mentioned this to one of my new friends, she suggested something insane. Kouyama Mitsuki? In **love**? After all, it was "factual," as she reported. __And you know what? The very next moment, I was flat out laughing. It was impossible for me to love Eichi, much less have those feelings returned. _

_Geez, was I wrong about a lot of things._

_The truth didn't come until a few months later. __Until then, I was still overburdened with the loss of Obaa-chan. Even though Satsuki and the rest were so kind, I'd wake up and expect my grandmother's warm smile. _

_The day I found her "asleep," was the day things changed. I made a silent vow that I'd never smile again, even if some councilor begged to differ. _

_And so, the Kouyama Household became a very...unhappy place. _

_-_

"Ne, Mitsuki. What's wrong?"

Hinako poked her friend in the shoulder, a worried look creasing over.

"Ah, nothing. It's just..." Brown eyes gave away a lie, which couldn't fool the roommate at all.

"Hey, we've been bunking for - how long now?-! Two months. No - three!" The tiny girl put her hands on her hips, offering a consoling smile. "So tell me...what's this all about?"

Mitsuki smiled. Out of everything, these were the times when she appreciated Hinako the most. "It's nothing, really. I was just wondering when...Takuto's _death date_ was..."

Then, all went quiet. The atmosphere didn't seem so peaceful anymore. But Mitsuki had to find out. When she received the letter of notification, the girl had vented out her frustration and...thrown it away. For all she knew, his date could be today. She swallowed.

'_Oh, **please** God. Don't be today, don't be today_.'

"Hmm...well, I'm not sure. You'd have to ask the boss." Seeing the look on Mitsuki's face, Hinako gave an innocent smirk. "Don't worry about it. The earliest date I've heard of was...hmm...about four months. You're still getting there."

Mitsuki let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. But even with this reassuring info, she still couldn't help but worry. What would happen...when that time came?

"Mitsuki, are you...sure you're okay?"

"Yea, Hinako." She forced out a smile. Amazingly, it was a complete replica of the real thing.  
"I'm absolutely...fine"

_-_

_I was fourteen years old. It wasn't so hard to stay guarded. In that period of time, I learned how to control my tears. How to save them, how to build them inside. Yea...I learned it good. But now, I'm not so sure it's something to be proud of. The night before Obaa-chan's funeral, I told myself over and over again that...I wouldn't cry in public. _

_She wasn't gone. She wasn't gone. **She wasn't gone.** _

_Like a charm, those three words held my tears obediently. I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me. I didn't want it to hurt more than it already had. In the end, Eichi was the one who broke everything down. _

_We were sitting outside the Convenience Store, on one of those cheap silver benches. That day was hot - really hot, I remember. I can't recall what he said, but it definitely...flicked the switch. And moments later, tears were spilling along with the words I could never speak. I was talking fast, breathing fast. Everything came out all at once. _

_Part of me wanted to stop it. But the other needed to hear it said from my very own lips. And so, that's what happened. _

_Eichi was the first, and last person, to hear it all._

_When he nodded with that understanding smile, it came as a surprise. __Like for once, someone really cared. Someone wanted to listen. _

_And that seemed to draw me even closer in. __I should've listened to what my heart was saying. Because from the first moment we were introduced, there was this...one thing I had never felt before: __The feeling of love._

_Only...I was too blind to recognize it. By the time I did, I still couldn't bring myself to confess. Or do anything, for that matter. I was afraid our friendship would fall apart. So instead, I just smiled and positioned myself as "the girl friend."_

_Ahem, please note that was girl **SPACE** friend. As in a girl who was a friend. As in a girl who couldn't be honest with herself. As in a girl who wanted to always, always love him from afar._

_But before I knew it, trouble wasn't far away. It struck me harder than ever, and it was "goodbye, tolerance" once and for all. I only had a month to be remotely happy._

_It ended one night, when I saw Eichi park in the driveway with someone. A girl, rather. And let me tell you - I didn't like her. Not at all. _

_Her name was Michiko. I can't recall very many details, but I do remember some of her features. Her eyes - a soft blended amber. Brown hair that curled along the edges of her face, and a delicate frame that defined slender. _

_Unlike some other little girl, she was 18. An adult, just like Eichi. Michiko thought I was his sister, which I guess came closest to the truth. _

_...In Eichi's eyes. _

_But even if I wasn't the one he loved, I was still his most important girl. I was happy with that - I really was. Though after "she" arrived, "happiness" became a foreign word._

_Every time they were together, I began to notice things more and more. Eichi had stopped spending all his time with me. When we did manage a conversation, every other sentence had to do with "her."_

_He was still nice, that was for sure. The smile I fell for so many times - it was still there. But it was different now. We never talked heart-to-heart anymore. And slowly, I watched myself get replaced by another. That was when my relationship with Eichi...really began to crumble. _

_-_

"God dammit, I hate this job!"

Sakamura threw down a collection of words, papers scattering everywhere. He pressed a hand to his forehead, inhaling deeply as he looked up. After several moments, he recollected himself and started picking up the mess.

'_Chill,_' he directed, attempting to reassure himself. '_There's nothing you can do. That was then, this is now_."

After gathering the display he had put on, Sakamura returned to where he was reading...No! It wasn't just that easy!

How could she still smile after all that? For the billionth time - _STUPID_. _GIRL_. Sakamura shook his head. He had never met a person so idiotic before.

When someone dies, when someone you love... when _everything _goes wrong, it's only natural to feel sad. Depressed. Mortified. You don't smile, and you don't laugh.

His thoughts raced back to her giddy expression. A never faltering smile...eyes that shined so easily. Then he asked himself for the second time, ' _How can she still smile after all that? _' It wasn't something...to be happy about.

But maybe Mitsuki knew that already. She was only...trying to be strong.

Sakamura clenched his fist, but couldn't bring himself to be angry. Only sad in a way that felt unnatural to him. But he couldn't stop the feeling. Thinking over and over again:

'_Mitsuki, you don't have to be that way._'

_-_

_Michiko was a nice girl. I could see why Eichi liked her so much. Funny, Talented, Good-natured. But sometimes I tried to make excuses for myself. Any excuse at all, to make myself dislike her. _

_Then...I realized there wasn't a reason. The only explanation for the way I felt, was jealousy. Hard, cruel, jealousy._

_I didn't want to be that kind of person - I really didn't. But was it really my fault if emotions...got out of hand? If the way they touched was different from the way we touched? From the friendly way Eichi hung his arm around me, to the...tender kisses he planted on her lips._

_If right then, things were going "downhill", what happened next pushed me off a building. Not just one, but three - each a severe blow to the heart. _

_The first time I fell, was when he said those...words. No, they weren't "I love you," or anything of the sort. Give me a break. If Eichi had ever said that, he'd be telling another girl...not me. Most likely the one he was marrying at the time. _

_That's right. Sakurai Eichi was getting married to the girl of his dreams. Beautiful, Slender, Educated, Compassionate, everything I felt I wasn't at the moment._

_And, yes. It did pain me. To run up and hug Eichi - only to pretend I was congratulating the brother I never had. When really, my bleeding heart was crying. All over again...never wanting to let go. _

_The second downfall, was my own fault. "**I love you**." I finally said it. And...I spent my time wishing I hadn't. I slept that night to the sound of my tears, without a care in the world that I looked just as messed up as I felt. _

_Being his "girl **space **friend" wouldn't cut it. I wanted his smile back, along with everything else she stole. I wanted to leave that "space" behind. The "space" that made me just a friend. The "space" that kept us apart. The "space" that made him reject me. _

_But it was the nicest rejection in the world. He held me close, and told me to close my eyes. He told me that I was important to him, and that he liked me...so much. Only...there was someone else he loved. He squeezed me tighter, and told me not to cry. And when he did, I forgot all about the lessons I had learned. I forgot about "not crying in public." The tears wouldn't stop. _

_I wondered over and over again how he made me feel this way. I just...didn't know how. But right then, I only wished he'd stop. I could hardly hear a word he was saying through my emotions. And with that...look on his face. _

_I was young enough to be confused, but old enough to feel the pain. It was...something I became familiar with. _

_The last fall, was all too literal. It was an accident, it really was...But maybe it wasn't. Maybe, I still can't give up on denying. _

_When I ran away to that cliff - **pouring my heart** out on the road..._

_When I think about it, I think about the **cold ground** beneath my feet - chilling to the bone._

_I think about **slipping off the side**, but too weak to hang on._

_Or maybe, my will to live had flown away..._

_Thinking , ' If I died today, would he **cry**? Would he feel **regret**?' _

_' If he saw me today, would he keep walking? And pass me like a **stranger on the street**?'_

_When I think about what happened, I think about the **worst feeling** in the world._

_I couldn't find a reason. I couldn't find an answer. I couldn't find an excuse. So all I could do, was keep on..._

_...falling..._

_

* * *

_

This chapter was a little emotional. uu; I hope it wasn't too confusing, but it should've at least answered some of your questions. So how did I do? 

>>Leave a review, of course :)


	5. Secretive Notes

**Wings for Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie**>> For once, I can't think of anything worthy to occupy this space...except for a dumb line.

>>**Disclaimer**>> Hmm..."Disclaimer"...what exactly does that word mean to you? (It means that...I don't own Full Moon xx;

**Kintora **- :D Thanks for your positive review! I really appreciate it. I guess I didn't really go into detail about her actual death. I only described how she there. (: My ranting is boring. You'll probably wish you hadn't asked any questions :P But anyway, let's begin!) 

Mitsuki's emotions at the time were really mixed up. Like when you lock yourself in your room, she just wanted to get away from everything.  
In my mind, she was walking on one of those curvy roads that separated a cliff with rails. Okay, that may sound confusing. Remember that scene in the anime where Takuto commits suicide off his motorcycle? Yea...? I kind of pictured the same deserted road he was speeding on. The type that seems dangerous at night, and the type where someone's car lights could illuminate the entire valley.  
So anyway, Mitsuki was walking on the side, silently crying. She probably let her feet carry her places she hadn't thought of. Stopping at a cliff, she slipped off the edge. Could've been an accident.  
"Or maybe my will to live had flown away," was supposed to signal she didn't have any will to live. She falls with the last thoughts of despair.  
So really, you had the right idea in the end. Curiosity killed the cat, but did confirmations? Haha, of course not. nn' Eh, anyways. I couldn't find a way to sneak that in this chapter ;D Hope this cleared things up for you (if not the opposite...) and anyone else who had similar questions. Continue on to Chapter 5!

* * *

Chapter 5: Secretive Notes

Hello, Journal.  
Or should I say Diary? Journal sounds more professional...alright, that's good. It's Thursday night, in the Shinigami World. Hinako wanted to bring me to the local fair, so I couldn't refuse. Leave it up to her to mix things up! So anyway, we're here at the moment taking a break from the rest of life. I'm already stuffed full to my neck, but we keep on eating more. All these treats - oh great, I think she's buying another bag! Hold on - I need to go put a chain on my friend.

"Mitsukiiiii...! Aren't these just the _greatest_?-!" A tiny shinigami began to giggle as she popped another cracker jack into her mouth.

"Yes, Hinako. They're amazing but I **_--_**"

"**_--_**Here, here - have another one!"

Mitsuki gave a sheepish smile as she succumbed once again. "Okay, fine - I'll take **one**."

And...you know the drill. One becomes two, and two becomes...the entire bag. Now that Hinako was even more giddy, Mitsuki began to suspect they put alcohol in those cracker jacks...

"Teehee-hehe. Oh Mitsuki, you're such a doll. I don't understand why in the world you'd need to lag a diary along. The fair is so much fun! Let's go eat some more!"

"NO!" Mitsuki lifted a hand, her eyes widening. "No more food, Hinako. No more food!"

"Alright, Alright...I hear ya'." The girl gave a little pout, acting offended.

Mitsuki sighed in half-relief. The other half was out of fatigue. She sat down on a wooden bench, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. For a tiny person, Hinako sure didn't hold back on food.

' **_I have a friend with a bottom-less pit for a stomach,_**' came the reminder.

"Hehh. What'cha thinking about, Mitsuki?"

She turned to the side, greeted by her roommate's sleepy smile. Mitsuki quirked a brow, before pointing a teasing finger at her friend.

"Now I'm wondering whether or not those cracker jacks have worn off. Hinako, sleepy? That's a sight I never thought I'd see!"

The two girls landed in a fit of giggles, the rest of the world soon fading away. Their conversations were always very packed. From random thoughts to 'that-cool-candy-shop-on-the-corner-street', talking to Hinako was anything but boring.

"So how's your subject holding up? I know you're working in the Childrens' dept., but that's basically it."

"Well." Hinako twisted her tiny hands outwards in a gesture. "Her name's Akiko. Fourteen years old, dying from a broken heart. Like they say - love is powerful stuff, yeah? It's a standard procedure. Jus' gotta keep interferences away."

Mitsuki blinked, letting out a little 'Hm.' That was only a year younger than she had been at the time of the incident. Had she been "dying from a broken heart" too? That would explain the constant aches she used to get. Those things weren't as vivid anymore, but those memories were still...there. Mitsuki felt the past tug at her heart, but she didn't want to think about it. Instead, she would think about something that made more sense. The bright scenery, for example, was a perfect thing to focus on.

"So whatsa 'bout you, Mitsuki?"

It seemed focus time was over. Mitsuki glanced over to her friend, showing a little confusion. "E-Eh? What do you mean...?"

"Hm...Must be nice having a guy," Hinako swooned. And just for that much needed reaction, she added, "Go for the forbidden love, Mitsuki! Go, go, go, girl!"

"T-Thanks, Hinako." Mitsuki giggled, attempting to hide her mild embarrassment. She was getting used to her friend's peppy attitude, anyway. "But...it's not really forbidden, is it?"

Hinako cut her smiles short at the naive question. "Is it forbidden? Of course it is!"

Now Mitsuki was the one frowning, as she tipped her head to the side. "Why...?"

"Think about it, girl!" The shinigami shook her head, stating the obvious. "A human and a shinigami? Together?-! Geez, would_ that_ cause problems.

"What?..._Why_?" Mitsuki's confusion only deepened as Hinako let out a sigh.

"Well for starters, dogs don't date cats, Mitsuki. We're just..._different_. There's no way it'd work out. In the Shinigami World, that kind of thing is looked down upon." Hinako waved her hands in the air, trying to express how morally **wrong** it was. But all Mitsuki could say was...

"A-Ahhh..."

"Alright, drop that...When you're chattin' up your friends, and they go - 'So...like anyone?' - you don't just say 'Yea y'know. There's this really cute human guy I saw the other day.' "

"But..."

"...Humans cause trouble. A lot of them aren't used to seeing a god of death. Besides **_-- _**we have a job that includes...um...taking their lives?-! With all the confusion, it's just...it's just..." The two girls blinked at each other, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Mitsuki...Nevermind. Just...don't get involved with any human boys, y'hear?" Hinako eyed the girl suspiciously, before receiving a feeble nod. "Okay...So let's go get some more of those damn good cracker jacks!"

As the two continued through the event, Mitsuki couldn't help but wonder. Thinking, '_But...we're the same. Human or Shinigami, we're still the **same**. There's no...difference._'

A shinigami was just another person who made a mistake.

So why...was love between the two so wrong? '_It's what we both have...Heart, Mind, and Soul - right?..._' She frowned, replaying Hinako's words. '_...Or wrong?_ '

The confusion remained, until Mitsuki realized what was going on.

' _Why am I...?-! It's not like I care anyway. They make the rules here._ '

She gave a quiet sigh, trying the ignore the uneasy feeling in her heart.

' _It's not...like I care._ '

_-_

_-_

__

Mitsuki,

I have to say that joke you included in your last note was d-r-y. Did you pick up one of those books or something? Haha, actually -- it's funny when you think about it. But only because it isn't. Confused yet? Though so.  
Anyway, I'm just writing to say that I'll be staying over at a friend's house tonight. Late again, sorry. But I bought some of those sesame cakes that you like so much, so maybe you'll forgive me. Yea, I bought a lot. Actually, a lot more than we can eat.

P.S. What did the boy named Takuto say to the girl named Mitsuki? The sesame cakes are in the fridge.

Takuto

"Fuu, he thinks he's so smart."

Mitsuki giggled, placing the tattered note onto the table. She reached to open the fridge, where Takuto had left her favorite snack.

"We're never here at the same time. We just keep on missing each other." She hadn't acknowledged the frown, but it was there. "Well, at least writing notes makes things less lo**_--_**" Mitsuki stopped abruptly, afraid of what she might've said. She was about to say that it was...

...**lonely**. "**_--_**boring. Writing notes to Takuto makes things less boring." She gave the last word a little more punch than the others, as if trying to convince herself. The cheap facade was able to fool her mind for a good five seconds. But after that, emotions set in.

"boring. Writing notes to Takuto makes things less ." She gave the last word a little more punch than the others, as if trying to convince herself. The cheap facade was able to fool her mind for a good five seconds. But after that, emotions set in. 

'_Writing notes to Takuto makes me less lonely, but being with him leaves a stronger effect._'

Mitsuki shook her head, declaring war with her thoughts.

'**_It's lonely without Takuto._**'

Or maybe...it was her heart. Whatever the case, it would have to be put on hold. The sesame cakes were waiting. The girl brushed a stray lock away from her face, helping herself to the sweet dessert.

It was a good day for relaxing too. The sun never ceased to shine, shedding warmth through her subject's apartment. Mitsuki sat herself down, leaning casually on the armchair. Yes, it was a good day for relaxing. But something on her mind couldn't rest assured.

She looked up at the ceiling, racking her brain for however long it would take. What was it? Mitsuki had already eaten breakfast. She had locked the door. She had said goodbye to Hinako. She had...

"Ah. Geez, _that's_ it..."

Whatever the shinigami had remembered, there was no happy expression in her discovery. "Sad" seemed to describe the atmosphere better.

"I guess...I'll have to go back to the Shinigami World."

She let out an exasperated sigh, as if to say 'Not _again_!' She hadn't even finished her sesame cake. But this was undoubtedly more important. The girl whimpered silently, picking up her snack and throwing it out.

Then Mitsuki left **_--_ **just as quick as she came. Leaving only a messy note to mark her appearance.

"I'm back!"

Takuto walked through the door, quickly taking his shoes off. To his dismay, he was greeted by a thick silence.

"Mitsuki?"

He called out into the silent home, but once again there was no answer. The boy didn't need an explanation, for he caught sight of a scribbled note on the counter.

_-_

****

Takuto,

In my opinion, that joke was hilarious. Besides, the hippo's were cute. And no, I didn't get it from a joke book or anything. My friend Hinako passed it on, and I suppose she made it up with the...bunnies and the kitties and the hippo's...

I'm going back for a while. It won't be long, but I have some unfinished business that needs to be taken care of(Haha, doesn't that make me sound smart?). Just figured I'd let you in on my whereabouts.

P.S. I found the sesame cakes, so you're forgiven. F.Y.I: You bought enough for an entire family.  
P.S.S. Your joke wasn't any better. (But it did make me laugh)  
P.S.S.S. If I do stay there for longer than planned, I'm sure you can handle things while I'm away.

Dummy.

Mitsuki

He couldn't suppress a grin while reading her condescending note. It was obviously payback for the one he had left her earlier. He glanced at the last line again, knowing perfectly well she was giggling while writing 'Dummy.'

The boy laughed under his breath, tossing the note onto his desk. 'Of course I can handle it.'

Truth be told, it was quite the opposite.

An hour later, Takuto was sitting in a cushioned chair...tracing its "fascinating" swirly pattern with his finger. He had nothing better to do, and it was just...

"GAH!" He threw his hands up in the air, standing quickly from his seat. Only to sit back down again. And that's how the next couple of minutes worked. Up, down, up, down, up, down, up. For what seemed like the billionth time, Takuto sat himself down again.

Running a hand through his hair, the boy had to wonder.

'What did I do before Mitsuki appeared? Did I read books? Work jobs? '

He slumped back into his chair absent mindedly surveying the room. The things that used to be fun seemed pointless now. The house felt so much more...alive with Mitsuki. Now, everything was just black and white. The little things she did to him...

He stood up with certainty now, waltzing over to the kitchen counter. Rereading the note for a second time, he recalled she would be back soon. But as his eyes grazed the last P.S., he wasn't so sure.

"P.S.S.S. If I do stay there for longer than planned, I'm sure you can handle things while I'm away," he read out loud.

Takuto placed the note back down, staring at the wall for an answer. "So I guess...she won't be back for a while...?"

When had he gotten so dependant on someone else? It never used to be that way. At least not until Mitsuki came. She was **_--_**

"I'm going out for a walk," he declared, to no one in particular. Thinking too much indicated he needed to get out. And with no one to stop him, the boy quickly darted out the door. Fresh air was a band-aid for confusion. Right?

_-_

The sun was setting, but the air still lingered with its warmth. The street lights were beginning to flicker somewhat earlier than usual. Trash littered the untidy roads, the sound of cars speeding by.

Most people were heading home by now. Home to their families, home to a sleeping comfort, home to a warm fire-place. But others wandered through the warm night air **_-- _**working another nightly shift or finding a place to stay. Whatever was done, it was done in a time frame.

But sometimes, you wonder what its all for.

Takuto wandered aimlessly along the streets, hands shoved into his pockets. His feet were getting sore by now. Surely far away from his apartment. But that wouldn't stop the pacing. He kept on going and going, but didn't know exactly where. It should've been an unsettling topic, but it was the last thing on his mind.

"Place it to the left more."  
"More left..."  
"Almost packed up, men."

He glanced up, the unfamiliar voices striking a nerve. Takuto saw a couple of men moving boxes into a van. The big brown ones that you ship items with.

'_The store must be going out of sale..._'

The thought didn't strike him as important, so it easily fluttered to the back of his mind. It was just a mental note -- _nothing that mattered_. The boy dodged the moving materials to continue down the side walk. It didn't matter... That was, until he saw the guitar in the window.

And for a moment, Takuto almost wondered if his feet had meant to carry him there.

He was stiff now, eyes pasted to the instrument. His hands wanted so badly to pick it up. His legs wanted so badly to dash in that store. His ears wanted so badly to hear that first strummed chord. Again...to remember the feeling. But then, a surging heat suffocated him. It was coming from his throat. This wasn't the first time he had felt it, either. Takuto reached up to touch it, almost gripping in frustration. It was his throat that...no.

He winced, forcing his eyes away from the guitar. The boy cursed under his breath, though it was barely heard in the darkness.

'_It's impossible,_' he reminded himself.

And off he went, just another face in the crowd.

_-_

"Subject who?"

"Kira Takuto, sir."

"Ah, yes. Sorry about that." An elderly man shuffled through dusty files, his crinkled fingers moving rapidly. "K...K...K...," he murmured in search.

"Hm? I'm sorry, young lady. I see no Kiro Takuno."

"_Kira Takuto_," she corrected gently. "Just call me Mitsuki."

"Goodness **_--_ **for the second time. My apologies, Mitsuki."

The girl smiled, but her brown eyes remained troubled. "Not as all. Sorry to call you out this late."

"It's no problem. An old man like me should**_ --_ **Ah, found it!" He smiled, wrinkles deepening beneath his brows. "Kira Takuto, Subject #650012...Assigned death **_--_ **" He paused. "...Yes, dear?"

Her hand was placed gently, but firmly against his forearm. As if just realizing her brash act, Mitsuki jerked away. It must've been a subconscious gesture. Like reflexes for something she didn't want to hear. "N-Nothing. Sorry...If you don't mind, I can read it back at the dorms."

Silence stole a few moments, just waiting for the tension.

"Most certainly." He folded the form in half, handing it to the girl beside him. "Well, then. I'll be on my way. Take care, y'hear?"

"Mm. Thanks again for your kindness." Mitsuki flashed a smile, waiting for his leave to take it down. She clutched the paper tightly, restraining herself from tearing it...again. In the cold, musty room, the girl was all alone.

'_But I can't stay here forever_,' she reminded herself. '_I have to go back_,'

Mind overpowering her feelings, Mitsuki started off into the hallway. The paper still clutched in her hand.

_-_

A soggy mood was greeted by the eerie silence of her dorm room. Usually, it was overflowing with Hinako's cheer. But now all of it was gone.

Mitsuki sat on her bed, slowly raising Takuto's form. It was still folded. A folded piece of paper, daring her to open the flap. But _did _she dare? Even if it only meant running away from the truth, she couldn't.

She couldn't open Takuto's death date.

"Sorry, Sakamura..." She made a humble apology, biting down her lip. "...I guess I'm not fit to be a shinigami."

She swallowed a lump of guilt, burying the paper inside her drawer. Probably shoveled underneath a book or two. The shinigami closed the bin, gingerly touching the handle. It was times like these she wondered about the saying "Everything will be okay."

After all, was it...really?

* * *

One big filler? That's what this chapter seems like xx; Writer's block, or just a lack of more interesting topics... 

>>Maybe if you leave a review, the next chapter will be more interesting? Don't bet on it, but leave one anyway :P


	6. A Gentle Touch

**Wings for Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie**>> Hello, all. :) Just for you, I put in a larger chunk of Takuto and Mitsuki. Sorry for the delay ;P Oh, and also a long scene with Hinako and Sakamura. It lasted for longer than originally planned. Please enjoy chapter 6. Big thanks to my reviewers! I hit twenty, hooray!

>>**Disclaimer**>> You should know by now that I don't own Full Moon. If you don't than at least _I_ do :P Am I being confusing again?

>>**Note**>> The song Hinako's singing is "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. A very popular classic.

**Kintora **- At the moment, I don't plan on Meroko being a main character :) But I _have _had a small Meroko x Izumi scene running through my head. The only problem is, it doesn't relate to the story very much!. :P I'm not sure whether or not I want to include that, but right now there's a lot of things in the story even _I'm _not so sure about. Oh yea, Hinako reminds me of Meroko too! Both have too much sugar nn; Thanks for your review! Please keep reading my chapters :D

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Gentle Touch**

"Uh **_-- _**look, it's...it's not what you think!"

"It's **exactly** what I think, you liar! You ate them _all_! My sesame cakes!" Mitsuki lectured Takuto, while chucking large, fluffy pillows at him.

"**Oomph** **_-- _**Well what was I supposed to do?-!"

"You could've saved me one! Just one!" The two scampered around the packed rooms, Mitsuki chasing and Takuto running. No, make that _fleeing_.

"They're only sesame ca**_-- _Oww**, that hurt!" He ducked behind a chair, shielding himself from her angry attacks.

"No excuses! Mean **_-- _**that's what you are!" The infuriated shinigami chased him on top of the couches and under the tables. From a third person point of view, frankly, the two looked like bickering kids.

"Hey, would you listen to me for a **_--_**"

"Didn't you pick up those cakes because you were sorry? Who eats their own _forgiveness present_?-!"

"What the **_--_**? Forgiveness present?"

"You know what I mean, Takuto." Mitsuki threw another pillow at him. Lets see...that would be _how _many, now?

"But it was so...! Your snacks were the only thing left, and I was bored. Besides..." He caught a feather in the air, letting it twirl in his fingers. "...It wasn't the same without you."

She stopped for a moment, silently dazed at his sincerity. It wasn't the same without her...? What did he...

**WHAM**.

Mitsuki quickly snapped out of her trance when a pillow smacked her right in the face. "Na?-! Takuto!"

He looked at her, innocence playing on his face. "What? I can't just sit back and _let_ you rip me to pieces."

"Eh?-! Well that's what I intend to do!" She grinned, picking up an armful of pillows. "Ready **_-- _**Set **_-- _**Go!"

The night grew long, with sounds of laughter mixing with a buoyant pillow fight. The two never _did _seemed to run out of ammunition. That was until it came down to stealing and hiding your opponent's pillows...

It continued that way until arms were tired and legs were limp. Perhaps they were overreacting too much for their own good. But it was all in good intentions. Maybe...

In the end, all they could do, was argue about those darn sesame cakes that started it all.

_-_

"G'night, Mitsuki."

"Sleep tight."

"Don't let the bed bugs bite."

"That was corny..."

"Be quiet." Takuto eyed a smiling Mitsuki, as he flicked the light switch off. Now, even the dark night sky seemed to be illuminating the room. The stars were probably brighter than ever, or at least since the last time he noticed. But since when _did _he notice? Lately, all sorts of things were happening to him.

As he closed the door, he saw a smile radiating from a certain girl. She was propped up on her elbows, admiring the moon from her window view. Takuto couldn't help but smile too, slowly closing the bedroom door.

_.-.-.-._

The evening wind shook the trees, their leaves rustling for those awake to hear. The moonlight shifted through every window, occasionally admired by chance. Besides the rumbling wind, it was silent just like any other night. But though it was summer, the late evenings were still cold.

Takuto lay awake at the edge of his bed. He had rolled over on numerous occasions, trying to lull himself to sleep. Blame it on the loud wind, but there was also something else eating at his mind. The music shop he had passed by earlier...

...and the binding pain coiled around his throat. Takuto's hand shifted through the light covers, slowly reaching up to touch his throat. It was like a reflex whenever the thought crossed his mind.

He glanced knowingly at a small shadow in the corner of his room. The bright moonlight hadn't revealed what was hiding in that dark space, but he knew what was there...

The boy closed his eyes, rolling over and facing the other wall. He wondered if Mitsuki knew any of this...Probably. Maybe. Everything **_-- _**from his throat to his time of death. She hadn't asked about it **_-- _**or said anything at all, for that matter. But she was his shinigami. She knew all the facts...right?

Takuto was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he didn't notice his door click open. A pair of feet wobbled inside, moving at a particularly slow pace. It was...Mitsuki? She didn't seem fully awake yet, but she was somewhat conscious. She wandered closer to his bedside, so close that her knees were grazing the edge. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, mumbling something quietly.

The boy was probably too deep inside his mind to hear anything. Thick ideas fastened his gaze on the wall before him. Most along the lines of things he didn't quite understand.

'_But what if there's a chance that Mitsuki...doesn't know about those things? _' She was a curious girl. She would've asked. He was still thinking, until..."GYAH!" Takuto jumped, hitting his head on the backboard. Something, or someone, had touched him on the shoulder. It was a subtle movement, but still enough to startle him. The boy regained control at the sight of Mitsuki's face, though his heart continued to race. "Oh, geez, Mitsuki. You scared me. Do you **_--_**"

"Mnnph..." She cut him off with a murmur, her head drooping down.

"Mitsuki? You awake?" Takuto slid onto the edge of his bed. By the way she carried herself, he figured she was still half-asleep.

"I can't..."

"...You can't...?"

"..." And then it was silent. The girl swayed from side to side, the way people did when they weren't fully awake. But she didn't follow up on the statement.

Takuto grabbed the side of her arm so she wouldn't collapse, but didn't pursue her half sentence. Instead, he stood up **_-- _**ready to guide her back.

But unexpectedly, Mitsuki broke away from his grasp and curled up in the middle of his bed. He couldn't help but laugh when she looked like a dog.

And then she said some more **_--_** slurring the words every now and then."...Even...I can't...mrrm..."

Takuto watched silently. Her face was slightly pained, giving off the impression of a bad dream. At first, he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to wake her, or pry her off the top of his bed. But Mitsuki was just...there. Lying on his covers, her knees pulled in.

Takuto didn't know what came over him. But the next moment, _he _was there too. Stroking her forehead softly. Her pained expression slowly gave in, and the sound of her breathing became slow and steady.

Sometimes, Mitsuki was his shinigami. Sometimes, she was his friend. And then there were those odd moments...when he wasn't quite sure.

But now, as he sat and gently brushed her forehead, he was content with confusion.

...As well as the unfamiliar feeling in his heart.

_-_

_Last night, I slept soundly to a gentle touch. Sometimes I think it was a fragment of my imagination. But at the time, it just felt so **real**. Someone was softly caressing my forehead, like the way my mother used to. I wouldn't forget that gesture anywhere. At first, I wondered if it was Eichi. I know it sounds impossible, but anything can happen. Really.  
Yet, the touch felt different. ...**Warmer**..._

_Whoever it was, I felt safe that night._

_I know I have a small tendency to sleep walk, which makes me a little...shifty. The chance it might've been Takuto didn't exactly ease my embarrassment. __I came to the conclusion that I had mustered into his room...But after that, I have no idea. _

_I don't know anything at all. It'd be extremely embarrassing to ask! Maybe I'll just thank him...that seems like a good idea. _

_...Crap. He's coming in the door! I haven't even thought of something to say yet. I have to hide! Help me! ...Oh. I almost forgot --I'm writing in my journal. So much for that idea..._

_-_

"Hah, there's finally _stuff _to fill the fridge with." Takuto had returned, with another bag of groceries. "It's amazing how food disappears so quickly...Mitsuki, what are you _doing_?"

She gave a nervous laugh, hidden halfway behind a couch. "N...Nothing."

'_Actually, I'm hiding from you. Or...**was **hiding from you. Until you noticed..., _' she responded in thought.

"...But I guess it was a little obvious." Mitsuki voiced her last thought out loud, a tiny frown visible.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"Eh? No, no. Not me." She gave a little grin, waving in denial. His eyebrows twitched upwards ever so slightly. But after that, the subject was done. Forever.

'_There should be a word for that._' Mitsuki thought idly. '_Done forever...like 'donever.'_ '

"Donever...," she repeated out loud...again.

"You know ...talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

Mitsuki shifted out of her daze, to see a grinning Takuto. He was _grinning_. "You and your smug little expression. I am _not _going insane! I was...ah..." Pause. "...Talking to _you_, of course."

"Hnn? What was it you were going to say?" he asked politely. But she could tell he didn't quite believe her.

"Well, I was going to...um..."_Just thank him and run away. It's as simple as that, isn't it? _"...thank you."

"...Thank me?" He blinked, before skeptically eying a carton of 1 percent milk. "...For the groceries?"

She covered her face with a hand, trying to suppress her uncontrollable fit of laughter. 'For the groceries?' he asks. Mitsuki smiled widely, muffling her giggles. But then she realized that Takuto had no clue about what happened the previous night. Either that, or he wasn't catching on.

So maybe, it hadn't been Takuto after all. The person in her dream. The very..._realistic _dream. Maybe her mind had been playing tricks. Making her _think _it was him, when it really wasn't. Mitsuki felt the realization sink with a small '...Oh.'

Wait...was she disappointed? ...No. She was almost disappointed... _Almost_.

In the beginning, he had sensed the hesitation in her voice -- complete with a sheepish smile. But after a while, Mitsuki came to look a little sad. Why? It couldn't have been _that_, could it? She hadn't even been awake at the time.

'_Well_,' he figured. '_I guess I won't mention anything._' Besides, Takuto had no clue on what her reaction would be. She'd probably get really freaked out and start pacing around the room.

But he didn't have to mention anything. For the next thing she said, came rolling right out. And it seemed, that Mitsuki had been very much awake.

"No, no -- not for the food. I mean - yes! Yes, thank you. But it's weird, you know, because I had this dream that there was this person. And they were...well, uh...n-nevermind. It was a crazy dream, anyway. Thank you --Thank you for the groceries. That's what...I meant to say."

_Great_. Mitsuki flushed, turning to the clock -- which at the moment was _very _interesting. _Just great_. Those last few sentences weren't even comprehendible. But Takuto didn't say anything. Not even a word about how weird she was, or even a subtle 'Interesting.'

"Y-Yea...for the groceries. Thank you...," she said, repeating herself. A brief silence passed, before Mitsuki glanced up again -- this time with a little smile. "You're providing me with everything, and I don't know what I can do for you."

"Hm? Oh it's no pro--"

"--Oh, I know!" she interrupted, glee clearly written along her face. "I'll be your maid! Yes, it's perfect! No outfits or anything, but I used to clean my old house _constantly_. Great --This is great!" The sharp pause came in her realization. "Ah...I mean -- what do _you _think, Takuto?"

She was so hyped up about this new idea, that he didn't have the heart to refuse. Besides, it _was_ a good suggestion. "Sounds good to me," he said, with an approving smile.

"Really? You think so? This is wonderful!"

As his shinigami scurried around the room, Takuto wondered why she was so enthusiastic about _cleaning_.

But then again, Kouyama Mitsuki was filled with surprises.

_-_

Hinako paced down the building corridors, swinging her arms cheerfully.

"_The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky,_" she began, singing a friendly melody. "_Are also on the faces of people going by_. _I see friends shakin' hands, saying 'How do you do?' They're really saying 'I love you'..._"

She flashed a smile as her tiny feet turned around the corner. "_I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow. They'll learn much more than I'll ever know. And I think to myself..._" Deeeeep dramatic breath.".._.What a wonderful world! Yes, I think to my _-- Ah?-! Sakamura! Just the man I was looking for." Her off-tune melody was cut short as Hinako waved enthusiastically.

Sakamura shook his head, letting out a sigh. "Hinako, what did I tell you about singing in the hallways? You're loud enough to disrupt a country, woman."

"But I _like_ si--"

"No buts. I _still _get complaints about you from time to time. Wait -- lets review. I didn't say compliments. I believe I said _complaints_."

"Hey, Saka--"

"They're two _very _different things, Hinako. If you have the guts to say they both start with the letter '**C**,' I swear I'm going to--"

"Goodness gracious!" His threat was cut off by Hinako's exasperated sigh. The girl shook her head with a silent 'Tsk, tsk.' "Are you always this mean to Mitsuki?"

The shinigami glanced up to search his mind. "No."

Hinako blinked, tipping her head to the side. "Then...does that make her special?"

"No...?"

"Are you afraid of her?"

"No."

"Did she bribe you?"

"...No."

"Positive?"

"What is your _point_?-!" Two words. **Easily**, and **Aggravated**

Hinako blinked, shrugging her tiny shoulders. "Nothing really. It's just...you're pretty mean to everyone. Except maybe, the shinigami chiefs. But then you're just forcing yourself."

Sakamura took a moment to soak in the dilemma. Hinako wasn't as dumb as he may have sought her out to be. "Well, it's...a little difficult to get mad at Mitsuki. I mean...well, you should know." _But that wasn't the only reason he..._

"Well, then! I have a proposal to make! Actually no -- it's a surprise!" The girl grinned, but Sakamura eyed her suspiciously.

"What...is it...?" he asked tentatively.

"What is _what_?"

"The surprise."

"Um." She blinked, shrugging. "A surprise?"

The guide felt like bashing his head against a wall. "...Nevermind, just forget it. It's useless wasting my breath."

Hinako grinned, sticking out her tongue. " In one ear, out the other! So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

_-_

**Later...**

Sakamura shook his head. "Oh, man. What have I gotten myself into?"

In the short time he had entrusted to her, Hinako had brought the both of them to the Human world. They were hovering in the sky, as the girl attempted to sort out the mess. And what exactly was The Mess?

Well for starters, they were lost.

"Um...this is part of the surprise!" claimed Hinako.

"...Yes. I am now merrily, stupendously, cheerfully, pleasantly **surprised**," he murmured sarcastically. "Now would you care to tell me where we're headed?"

But Hinako only stared in awe. "Sakamura, I didn't know you knew so many words for being...well, happy. And _no_, I cannot tell you."

"Why?-!" he breathed with exasperation.

"Because it's a surprise!"

"...Great."

Despite his condescending tone, Hinako only floated gracefully along the skyline. "Oh, Sakamura. You're just like a soda can. Shake too much, and any moment you might just -- EXPLODE!"

She was giggling now, spinning in the air. Meanwhile...

"...Hinako, you are just so... so...BAH! You know what, I'm going back. Show your surprise to someone else!"

As Sakamura turned around to leave, the tiny shinigami quickly grabbed onto his leg -- causing his balance to waver.

"Augh! Let me go! I'll have you demoted, you idiot!"

"No...! Sakamura, you can't go! The surprise is just -- Aha! Found it!" Hinako's face lit up as she caught sight of something below. She quickly dragged the reluctant boy closer to the ground. "Now you don't say a word. Just follow my lead."

They landed softly on someone's freshly cut lawn. Hinako quietly hid behind a wall, secretly peeking around the edge.

"What," he began, exhaling the word sharply. "Are you doing?"

"Shh! Nothing, nothing at all. Ah -- the suspect went inside building number 1-2-3. Building 1-2-3, 1-2-3! Let's move!"

Sakamura mumbled something about letting a dumb girl drag him around, but followed her anyways. They continued to play the scenes from an action movie -- with Hinako providing the sound effects, of course.

After a while...

"Damn this!" Sakamura threw up his hands, rising from the bushes. "You and your dumb games, Hinako. What are we --...mmph!"

Hinako clasped her hands over his mouth, muffling the sound. "SHH! She's there."

"_Who's_ there?"

"..." No answer from Hinako. It was a _surprise_, after all.

He sighed disapprovingly. "Why do I even bother?"

The girl let out a laugh, but didn't reply. Instead, she accelerated higher to look through an apartment window. She was so close that her fingers brushed the outside glass. "See, see -- look right here."

Sakamura lifted himself a little further, peeking into the apartment room. His eyes widened, finding the surprise rather surprising after all. "W-What?"

He had expected something meaningless...something very "Hinako-like." A cheap ice cream parlor, the coolest Human gadget, or anything spur-of-the-moment.

Instead, the surprise was...Kouyama Mitsuki. She was shuffling books and papers into neat stacks. She wore a light smile, as her fingers traced the table's edge. While Hinako rambled on, Sakamura watched silently. From the looks of it, Mitsuki was tidying up someone's apartment.

Her expressions would occasionally change. A dainty smile, the broadest grin, and a soft frown all caught his eye. He observed with a fixated gaze. And for that moment, the guide forgot all about being annoyed with his co-worker. Watching Mitsuki made him feel...different.

Like the time Sakamura had read about her past, there was this feeling in his gut that forbid sleep that night. When they had assigned Mitsuki to take on a shinigami's duty, he was very pissed off. Much, much more...than he usually was. It was a weird feeling. Different. But he wasn't sure what that difference was. ...Not yet.

From the corner of his eye, Sakamura could see Hinako getting suspicious. A taunting smile played across her face. He broke off his gaze from an oblivious Mitsuki and glanced down casually.

"I wasn't..." he muttered under his breath.

"Eh? You weren't what?" She was grinning now. As if she knew everything that he didn't.

"I wasn't staring at that dumb girl!" he shouted, gritting his teeth.

"I never said you _were_, Sakamura."

"Yea? Well you were thinking it, idiot!"

"Pfft. It sucks to be in denial." Hinako made a face, sticking out her tongue. "I just thought I'd be nice to...well, y'know? Just scope out this place. See how Mitsuki's doing. Check out her subject."

"Ahem...so in other words -- we're _spying_..."

"No, no. Not at all. You cou -- Aha! That must be the one! That...Kira Takuto." Hinako smooshed her finger against the window, pointing out a dark haired boy. He had emerged from the living room, greeting Mitsuki with a smile.

Sakamura watched as she smiled back, her face glowing. Not literally, of course. But she just looked...happy. A different type of happiness. Not the kind that was forced or fake. Not the kind when receiving a gift. Not the kind when you get a raise. But something **more**. A different type of happiness that Sakamura hadn't seen before.

Takuto lips started moving again, unable to be heard through the glass. And in turn, Mitsuki began to laugh heartily.

"Hmm...so that's him," Hinako observed, drumming two fingers on her chin thoughtfully. "She looks...happy, right? I guess that's a good thing, but...I wonder what'll happen when--"

"She carries out her punishment?" Sakamura said, finishing Hinako's sentence.

"...Yea."

The guide shook his head, sliding his hand against the window. "I don't know. Not right now." He made his hand into a fist, staring blatantly at the two people inside. "But you don't have to worry. It's not like...she'll fall in love with him."

Hinako tipped her head to the side. "How can you be so sure...?"

The shinigami didn't reply.

"Sakamura?"

He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure at all. Because if the look she gave him meant what he thought it did, Mitsuki could've already been falling.

* * *

HIYA! WRITING SPIRIT :D 

>>Reviews, loverlies. (I just saw "My Fair Lady". Forgive me for the strange atmosphere)


	7. Moving On

**Wings for Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie**>>Wow. What a _long_ delay. I'm super, super, super sorry :( That's the longest writer's block I've ever had. Lately I've been writing other stories on FictionPress, so I apologize. But if you'd like to check them out, my pen-name is Renzie. Enjoy Chapter 7 of Wings for Mitsuki!

>>**Disclaimer**>> nn; See previous chapters?

**QueenEtna** - Haha, yea. I think he does too ;D But I didn't portray it very strongly, so some people might not have caught anything. Thanks for your suggestion. Putting in a side story would definitely be an option. Sorry I haven't been on AIM often :( I keep forgetting to log on. By the way, update your stories!

**Kintora**- Yea, I was thinking about somehow using them in the story. If I make it into a side story, I'd want it to relate at least a _little_ bit. You know :D Thanks for your suggestions!

Thanks to all of the other reviewers! Your comments were so sweet, it means a lot to me. You guys helped me to get off my lazy butt and start writing. :)

* * *

**Chapter 7: Moving On**

Mitsuki sighed, flinging a pinch of bread crumbs out to the pigeons. The sky was dimming, though it was hard to tell beneath the heavy fog. She and Takuto sat on a bench in the middle of a park.

"Ack."

Takuto glanced towards his shinigami, raising a brow at her remark. "Ack?"

"I feel like I need to start something. Or make something." She paused, tipping her head to the side. "Maybe I just need to _do_ something."

"Yea, tell me about it..." Takuto leaned over his knees trying to lure one of the birds closer.

"...Okay. Takuto, birds don't come like that. That's more like...coaxing a kitten."

"What? Seriously?" He gave up, folding his hands behind his head. "Well, I guess there's not much to do for you in the Human World. You don't have a job -- not _really _at least, and you aren't exactly allowed to have friends here. People would get freaked out if they _knew_."

She understood what he was talking about. If anyone from the human world found out about her secret, there was bound to be trouble. Mitsuki gave a tiny murmur and shook her head. "But y_ou're _not freaked out."

"Nope."

She leaned over, peering at him intently. "Why not?"

"I'm not sure, really."

"Well, it makes sense to be spooked. I think you should be."

"I _should _be...if that explains anything. But," He returned her gaze gently. "I'm not."

She quickly turned away, flustered from meeting his eyes. They were soft, with an expression she couldn't quite understand. There was something so easy and likeable about Takuto, that she could ask him almost anything. But suddenly she felt like a fool.

"R-Right...Okay." Crap. This _had _to stop.

"You alright?"

"Yes, of course. So...let's go!" she said, adding fake enthusiasm. Standing from the bench she quickly darted off in a random direction.

"Go where?" He asked, standing up. "Hey? ...Mitsuki!"

'_Somewhere I can clear my head and get rid of this stupid blush! _' she thought, silently answering his question. Takuto was great -- no doubt about it. But sometimes, more often than not, he could make a girl so damn confused.

_-_

After a while, they finally ended up seeing a movie. An action comedy that no one had ever heard of before. And for a good reason too...

"I have to say..." Mitsuki carried the rest of her popcorn out of the theater, dodging the evening crowd. "_That_...was horrible."

"A painful watching experience," commented Takuto.

"A burn to the eyes."

"The worst movie I've seen in years."

"Hey...weren't you the one who picked it out?" Mitsuki asked. And knowing she was right, the girl couldn't keep the smirk off her face.

"Nope, you did."

"Wha? No. _You _did," she countered back.

"You did."

"_No._"

"Yes."

"No."

"Takuto!" Mitsuki shouted, though still smiling.

"Sure, I did. But _you _agreed to it," he stated.

"Yea? Well if you don't cut that out, I'll agree to hit you over the head with this popcorn bag!"

"Fine, fine - you win."

She knew they were being foolish, but sometimes it was hard to resist. They trudged out of the entryway and down the street, heading towards home. Takuto was the first to crack a bad movie impression, and then everything just started from there. Jokes, laughter, teasing, popcorn. Everything seemed right with the world. But then something happened, that Mitsuki had been fearing from the moment she died.

"Mitsuki? What's wrong?"

She could hear Takuto's concerned voice in the background. Repeating her name, over and over again.

_"Mitsuki?" _

_"Mitsuki?"_

"It's him," she murmured frozen. 'It's him. It's...Eichi."

A man was slowly walking down the street, his breath visible in the evening air. His blonde hair fell slightly past his eyes, and an autumn colored scarf was wrapped around his neck. Mitsuki kept eyes on him the entire time. Takuto was still calling her name, but she couldn't respond. She couldn't even move. All she could do, was stare blindly at Sakurai Eichi. The boy who she had foolishly fallen in love with.

All at once, a series of flashbacks hit her square between the eyes. Being with Eichi used to make her feel so good. So complete. But now, it just brought back unwanted memories. His understanding, his encouragement, his affection, his hugs. His smell, his walk, his rejection. It was like her mind was stuck in reverse.

Suddenly, he smiled. A _smile_. Was it...for her? Mitsuki's heart gave a tiny skip. Before, she had thought everything was okay. That she was cured of all the pain Eichi caused her. That her feelings for him had slowly faded away...

But when she felt that familiar heartache, as well as the quickening beat, she knew it was anything but. The feelings for him were still there...They weren't that easy to get over.

Was this what they called an 'old flame'? Or was it still just...unrequited love?

He began walking towards her with those slow and definite steps. Confident, and composed. All reasoning flew out the window, as Mitsuki only stared. And subconciously, she began to smile back.

Until he walked right by into the arms of someone else...

Michiko, to be exact.

It took her a while for Mitsuki to adjust.

'_Eichi's here.' _That sounded perfect in her mind. If only that were the end of things. _'But he's...not with me. He's never been with me._' It was true... But even more so, he was with _her_.

Something cold grasped her throat, and she couldn't help but hold a breath. It was like something tugging her back. Mitsuki couldn't move...not at all. Her legs were frozen to the ground, but they couldn't stop the trembling. Yea...she had definitely adjusted. The flashbacks, the images, everything... everything was just too much. Suddenly, she felt her left shoulder pull back.

It was Takuto. "Mitsuki?-!" He was staring at her so intensely -- so...certainly. Even though he didn't know what was going on. But she couldn't look away. God. Why did his eyes have to be so... "What's wrong with you?"

"I..." She opened her mouth to protest. That there was _nothing _wrong with her. But instead, it came out as a throttled noise from the back of her throat. She hated that sound... It made her sound weak.

"Mitsuki?" For what seemed like the billionth time, Takuto called her name again. The girl could hear his voice emptying out her ears -- ringing in her head. A nauseous wave hit her suddenly, and the world seemed to sway dizzily. It was almost painful.

_Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Mitsuki..._

"Did you say...Mitsuki?" This time the voice did not belong to Takuto. It was...Eichi. He was staring at Takuto now, eyes widening. "You said 'Mitsuki' right?"

Takuto paused, before giving a crooked nod. "Yea, I...guess I did."

Eichi raised his eyebrows in surprise, before lowering them calmly. He seemed like he was looking for something. Or _someone_, actually. Maybe it was Kouyama Mitsuki. That little girl from the orphanage, and the little sister he never had. But of course she couldn't be there.

She was dead, after all.

Eichi let out a sigh -- all breathy as if he'd been searching forever. And Mitsuki?... She felt empty. That familiar sway right before tears hit home. Maybe he **had** been searching forever. She'd never know.

The man just stood there, gazing sadly into the sky. "Sorry about that... It's nothing."

Takuto opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by someone else.

"_What's_ nothing?" Michiko stood beside him, taking his arm casually. "If you don't hurry, we'll miss our reservation. You've always been slow, hon." Affectionate laughter slipped from her mouth. It was dainty and feminine.

"You're right...we should get going." Eichi smiled, pulling his wife closer. It was the smile that Mitsuki had become so accustomed to. It was meant to be _her's_. And no one else's. So why did...?

The couple walked away, with only the clean sound of their steps ringing through the air. And that was that. They just...walked away.

And it was done. Forever.

**Donever.**

After that, a sad silence filled the air that neither Takuto nor Mitsuki wanted to break. The just stood there. The people on the streets had gone now -- off to their own lives. Mitsuki stared hard into the wall, her shoulders tense and uptight. She tried to stay calm, but that only resulted in her uneven breaths.

And..._he _was there too. Takuto. Adding silence to the atmosphere.

Suddenly, Mitsuki's emotions were mixed with anger. She tugged down at her shirt, trembling with unspoken words and...embarrassment.

Why did _Takuto_ have to find out about Eichi? He didn't need to know anything about her past life...there was no need. She was just going to take his life anyway, right?-!

_I could've avoided this. Avoided this... mess!_

She could have...but she didn't. And now Takuto knew things she never, ever would've revealed to him. Or for that matter, anyone else.

'_Well, that's fine -- that's okay_,' she decided haughtily. '_It's not like I'll break down. I just won't tell him anything._' Mitsuki clenched her fist tighter, the wet substance stinging at her eyes. '_I won't tell him anything..._'

She swallowed heavily. There was so much to remember about Eichi. So many things about him that she hated to love... His smile. His face. The whisking breeze against his hair. The way he'd listen... To her problems and everything else. The tender way he spoke. The tender way he rejected her.

She allowed the memories to run through her head, unsure of why she didn't stop them. She had always thought they'd go away, but they didn't. They just kept replaying like a broken record.

She tried to give an angry sigh, but it came out shaky. Breathless. And whether she wanted it to or not, the past hurt... Like hell. Mitsuki swallowed another lump of uncertainty, feeling it all the way down to her toes.

One glance was all it took. One glance at Takuto, and a voice in her head came plummeting down. It whispered shrilly in her ear. Telling her, ' _You can't do it alone._'

_You **can't** do it alone. You can't do it **alone**._

And slowly, Mitsuki watched her hand reach out to take _his_. It was so natural, that she didn't want to pull away.

'_Don't think -- Just do_.' Their fingers intertwined perfectly. Without a word, without an explanation.

Because there was no need for either.

Takuto didn't say anything. But under the dim streetlights, she felt a solid squeeze come from the other line.

Mitsuki could feel the slight pulse of his hand, and she wondered if he could feel hers too. It was like they were connected somehow. She squeezed back, as the first tear leaked out. _One, two, three... how many tears would it take?_

Maybe she was still in love with Eichi. Maybe things would stay that way forever...unrequited. Pining over lost smiles and broken conversations. Crying on her pillow only to cry again the next night. It was all hurting. _Five, six, seven tears..._

But whatever emotional battle Mitsuki was fighting, she would win. Because at the moment, she had Takuto. She had _Takuto._ Mitsuki had _his _words, and _his _smile. _His _hand, and _his _pulse. No matter what she was to him -- friend, shinigami, angel, or...something else, it was good to know that she wasn't alone.

Mitsuki decided that she didn't care about regrets. She didn't care if a painful history would repeat itself.

Because right then, she would've given _anything_...just to be there with Takuto. Walking down that road, hand in hand.

She didn't care if she was making a bad mistake. She didn't care if it was forbidden the way it was.

Because what in the world would she do ...without Takuto?

* * *

This chapter has a lot of ideas that go way back :D I'm glad to know I could finally include them. Ohmigawd! Chapter 7. That's a lot of words! Of course I'm at the same point in A Walk in the Park, but these chapters are longer. I'm proud of myself. Maybe I'll go bake cookies or something... 

>>Reviews :D


	8. Developing Feelings

**Wings for Mitsuki**

**>>Renzie>>** Finally, Chapter 8 :) Thanks for all of your wonderful feedback which helped me to write(once again). Lately I've been gathering an obsession for the movie **Rent**. Has anyone seen it? It's so _moving_! I strongly suggest you go and see it. Like...right _now_. Well, after you finish this chapter of Wings for Mitsuki :) Those of you lurkers who are wandering about, please don't be shy to review! Happy reading, everyone!

>>**Disclaimer**>> Don't own it, don't own it, don't own it, don't own it...

>>**Note**>> I replied individually to everyone who reviewed the last chapter(Or at least those with a pen-name). Check your inboxes, guys :D You're all so awesome! And thanks also to the anonymous reviewers like _Angel Sakura_, _Chibi Ame_, and _Takuto Lover_!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Developing Feelings**

Sunlight streamed through the apartment windows, illuminating the entire room. An adolescent girl opened her hazel eyes with hesitance. Squinting into the light, she found that her eyelids were heavy from crying so much. Mitsuki lifted a finger and delicately tucked a stray hair behind one ear.

She was in the living room.

That much she knew for sure. The heater was broken, and the room was at a standard temperature. So then why was her left hand so...warm?

Mitsuki's gaze trailed down, but her cheeks flushed to see another hand entwined with her own..._Another _hand that belonged to Takuto.

..._Takuto_. Mitsuki's breath became tangled, as her eyes trailed up to his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful there -- beautiful and content. For the first time in a while, she noticed how handsome he was. The warmth of their hands together sent shivers all the way up to her shoulders.

... Had the two spent the night that way? It would certainly explain why their hands were linked so closely. And why he was sleeping right... _beside_ her. Mitsuki couldn't remember falling asleep, let alone reaching his apartment. The last thing she remembered was walking along that empty street, feeling alone and together at the very same time.

In that moment of remembrance, certain things came rushing back to her. The movie, the street lights... **Eichi**. A series of feelings stirred up inside, but the girl pushed herself to reject them. No more thinking, and certainly no more...crying.

'_Even if Eichi was the one who taught me how._'

Mitsuki let her eyelids drift to a close, calming her nerves from confusion. She realized her hand was still entwined with Takuto's. But oddly enough, she did nothing to change it. Instead, the girl leaned her weight into his side, feeling desperately confused.

Lately, she seemed to be feeling that way a lot.

Mitsuki felt the tears forming behind her eyes too, but she quickly forced them shut. Because if she opened them, all of those feelings...all of them would spill out. Everything up until now had been bottled inside her, locked tight inside her heart. But now...could she really _help_ it after all this time?

Mitsuki thought for a while, but it wasn't a question that needed answering.

Silently and carefully, she let the tears soak into his shirt.

-

_Dear Journal,_

_I haven't written in here for a while, have I? Sorry that things have been getting in the way of my writing... _

_It seems I'm going back to the Shinigami World. I haven't been there for at least a week... wonder if anyone's missed me. I suppose Hinako would, being the way that she is. Sakamura...? I doubt it._

_Do you think there's such a thing as reincarnation? I mean -- I became a shinigami after death. But do you suppose there was something before my human life...? Life before life? ...If there was, I must have done something horrible... You see, all these bad things are happening to me, and I can only blame them on karma._

_The reason... just that, the other day I saw _Eichi_. God, could you blame me for hurting? Or shaking? Or... crying? Or clutching onto Takuto's hand the entire way back?...It was nice though, even though my heart was aching. The feeling of his hand against mine was sensual enough to make me dizzy..._

_I'm always like that. Always flustered, always embarrassed. I'd be lying if I said 'occasionally.' It's just...when I'm with Takuto, I forget about my past. I forget about death. Sometimes I even forget about _Eichi_... It makes me believe, if only for a second, that things will be okay. _

_Don't worry...it's alright if you don't understand. It's impossible to put these feelings into words, I know. But when I'm with Takuto, I feel so...**alive**. _

_It's almost...ironic._

-

-

Mitsuki opened the door to her room, finding it unlocked as usual. Hinako was sprawled out on the couch, holding an open magazine above her head. She had a pensive look on, but it changed as soon as Mitsuki came into view. The tiny shinigami jumped in surprise, squealing in delight at her friend's appearance.

"Kyaa! Mitsuki, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying in the Human World for at least another week! At least!"

The girl smiled, greeted by one of Hinako's infamous power hugs. "Well, things happen, you know?"

"Eh? _Things_? What kind of things?"

'..._Things like meeting up with your former love..._ _Things like crying yourself to sleep._'

Mitsuki twiddled her fingers. "Just..._things_, you know?"

"Yea, yea. I know what you mean," Hinako assured, clutching onto Mitsuki's arm. "But anyway, _anyway_! I found something that you're absolutely gonna love. I'll give you two -- no, _three _guesses! Ready, start!"

Mitsuki tried to keep the grin off her face, but failed miserably. "Ahm...let's see. Is it...a million dollars for my spending pleasure?"

"Honestly, girl. Do I look _that _rich?-!"

"No? Thennn...is it...tickets to a movie?"

"Aye, no!"

"Of course!" Mitsuki snapped her fingers. "Another Friday night carnival?"

"Yes!" Hinako grinned, showing off all of her teeth. "Well, close enough... It's on a Wednesday this time. God knows _what _those people were thinking. Honestly, Mitsuki... Carnival _Wednesday_?-! It just sounds too funky to me."

Mitsuki giggled. "Oh Hinako. It's the same thing, you know..."

"Yea, well...hopefully they'll change it back to Friday. But...you _are _coming, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Mitsuki said with a considerate smile.

"Great! Then lemme get you your ticketttttt!" Hinako skipped over to her night stand and shuffled through the loose papers. "Eh? I could have sworn I put it here... No?"

The tiny shinigami leaped over her bed and shifted through every drawer. She began to mumble incoherently, fingers weaving nimbly through the books and pages. "Where could it -- Aha!"

Hinako lifted a folded piece of paper in the air like a champion. And in a sing-song voice, she chirped, "Foooounnnddd it!"

Mitsuki inhaled sharply, coming to the realization that it might just be...

Hinako lifted the flap, but Mitsuki consciously led her eyes astray. The father away she was from that paper, the better.

The buoyant grin of Hinako's face faded away, and she winced in her mistake. "...Oops. I guess this isn't...the ticket. Mitsuki, have you looked at this yet?"

"No... No, I haven't." Mitsuki glanced around the room, pretending to be interested in every little detail. The truth was, she didn't want to make eye contact with Hinako. She was afraid of what her sharp friend might discover.

"Why not? Don't you want to open it...? I mean -- you went out of your way to get it, right?"

The adolescent girl dropped her gaze. She _had _gone out of her way to get it, but... The thing was, she wasn't all that sure anymore.. Oh God, who was she kidding? Mitsuki had _known _she would never open that paper... -- ever. And she had also known from the moment she had met Takuto, that... it would take a lot more than courage to retrieve his soul.

Much, _much_ more.

Mitsuki felt her heart pounding inside her chest. Why was it she felt so...so _strongly _about this? Why this? She looked up slowly, and her tentative yet solid voice whispered, "...**I don't want him to die**."

Her roommate went deadly silent at Mitsuki's words, the only noise in the room being the low humming of the fan. It was almost unnerving, being stared at so intensely. Like an ant underneath a magnifying glass.

"...You don't?" Hinako paused, and realized how stupid the question was with a shake of her head. "You don't... Of _course_ you don't." The shinigami caressed her forehead. "But Mitsuki... Is it that you don't want to take someone's life, or that you don't want to take_ his_ life...?"

"...I think both."

Hinako swallowed, keeping their gazes in a lock. "And...why is that?"

"Because..." Mitsuki faltered for a while. _Because he's important to me. Because...I don't know what I'd do without him. _"Because I..."

"**Love him?**"

Mitsuki stared Hinako in the eye, processing the words very carefully. "...What did you say?" She was on the tight brim of blushing and the words '_I don't love him_' were leaning tensely on the slope of her tongue.

So why was it the words wouldn't come out?

"It's okay if you do," Hinako said, a weak smile playing on her lips. "I know what I said before, that...a shinigami and a human aren't allowed to be together. But Mitsuki, the rules don't apply when you're in _love_. There's no way to control our feelings...you know? I know that is so over-used, but don't you think it's true? ...It's not our _fault_ that we fall in love, and it's not yours either, Mitsuki. Honestly, it's not anyone's..."

There was still time to deny it, Mitsuki thought. There was still time to deny Hinako's words. But as she saw a flicker of sadness that flashed across Hinako's eyes, Mitsuki was quickly distracted. She couldn't help but get the feeling that...something was wrong.

Something was _terribly_ wrong.

"...Hinako...?"

"I'm serious, Mitsuki! ...You can't go on like this." Hinako's fingers began to tremble lightly, though they were hardly noticeable against her eyes, glassy with tears..."You don't owe anything to _anyone_. Whatever happened in your past is gone now... It's done. It's over!" Hinako gave a pained smiled, her voice lowering. "You're allowed to be... _happy_. It's the only thing you can do now."

Mitsuki watched, unsure of how to feel. She had to ask --... No. It was so insensitive...so_ insensitive_ to Hinako's feelings! But still, she...

"So then...what about you?"

"...What _about _me?"

Silence filled the air once more. Mitsuki didn't know how to follow up on her own question, but it seemed that Hinako did.

"You mean what..." Hinako's voice dropped down to something barely audible, as she whispered, "...what happened in my human life."

-

_Riiinnggg...Riiinnggg...Riiinnggg...Rii --_

"-- Hello?" Takuto pressed the phone to his ear, still groggy from just waking up.

"Ah. Takuto?"

"Hm...? Yea...that's me."

"Hey! This is Kyouhei. You know -- from your English class?"

There was a slight pause before Takuto replied. "Oh...oh, yea, I remember." He ran five fingers through his bangs, secretly trying to recall this 'Kyouhei.'

"Are you okay? You don't sound so good," the voice said from the phone.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just didn't get very much sleep, you know?"

"Oh...and why's that?"

Takuto glanced towards the couch, as thoughts from the previous night clouded his mind.

He knew she was still emotional, especially since the wet spot on his shirt smelled suspiciously like tears. They had walked all the way home, he and Mitsuki. Even though she had passed out on the street and he had to carry her home like a _princess_, the scent of her tears was branded into his mind.

"Takuto?"

"Oh, sorry about that," he said, snapping back into the conversation. "Uhh...I just had a lot of homework to do."

"_That's _it! That's what I was calling for." The boy laughed on the other end. "Our English homework. Do you know what it is?"

"Oh yea, of course." Takuto repeated the homework to his classmate(whom he still couldn't remember, much to his regret), and hung up the phone after exchanging goodbyes.

_Poetry_. That had been their assignment. Slowly, a light smile brushed against Takuto's lips as he remembered. Mitsuki had once tried to help him interpret a poem too. And even though it had taken forever, the two had walked through it until the end. Or stumbled, really. But the important thing was, they had achieved their goal _together_.

Takuto stood silently at the counter. Where had Mitsuki gone, anyway? He glanced at the fridge, but was only greeted by empty magnets and blank spaces.

She hadn't even left a note.

Suddenly, a burning pain seared away at his throat. It happened in an instant. Takuto coughed violently, clutching onto the table counter. This wasn't the first time, but...he certainly hadn't gotten used to it.

The boy grabbed a bottle of water, and drank as much as he could. The water helped, and the coughing had subsided... but only for then.

He couldn't help but think back to the music store. Back to that _shadow_ in the corner of his room... Back to his guitar. Back to what _could've _been, but what now would stand as impossible.

Takuto flexed his fingers, staring blankly at the wall ahead. He knew something was wrong. And as much as he tried to deny it, he couldn't help but think that his time would soon be up.

* * *

I was reading back on this entire story, and I realized that my chapters jump from comical to depressing. I mean -- _constantly_. It's annoying to me, even though _I'm _the one who wrote it all. Hahaha! About now, I'd say we're...a little more than **half-way** done with this story. Bring out the cake! There's still a lot of kinks that I need to work out, but basically, I have a big chunk of the ending written already. The only thing I need to do... is get there. :) 

>> Reviews make for a very happy Renzie :D


	9. Hinako's Story

**Wings For Mitsuki**

>>**Renzie**>> :D Chapter 9! I've got to say -- I'm really proud of myself for finishing this chapter. It seemed to go by super slow, maybe because this is one of my longer chapters. Most of it will be told from **Hinako's POV**. The _italics_, specifically. And just as a quick note, Wings for Mitsuki has hit 60 reviews :D Pretty cool. Thanks, guys. And also the wonderful anonymous reviewers _Chibi Ame _and _Cherri_. :) Enjoy.

>>**Disclaimer**>> I don't(and will never) own Full Moon wo Sagashite and its characters, but wishful thinking is always fun.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Hinako's Story**

_He was my only friend... My only inspiration. _

_The one person I felt that truly cared about me. We used to race up that hill -- the one with fox-tails flailing in all directions. I remember that he was so much faster than me, no matter how big of a head-start I got. He was faster than any other seven-year old boy should've been, for that matter. We both knew it, yet he would always let me catch up. Stopping every minute and pretending to be out of breath?...He would always let me win the race._

_Thinking back now, I'm so grateful he was there for me. There was this time when I wanted to run away from home... I was serious as hell, even though I was too young to understand the consequences. With tears running down my cheeks, I kept on insisting. I meant every word that I said that night._

_It was such a stupid decision, and he must've known that. But he didn't say no... Never once did he say no. _

_Instead, he took my hand and we ran down the road with only the moon to guide us. It wasn't like we were prepared in slightest, but we had each other. I guess that was all we really needed. _

_I can't remember when they found us. Was it three...no, four hours later? He was punished more, of course. But he should've known that when sticking up for me. Taking the blame, when it wasn't his to take._

_Then of course there were those nights when we camped out in the living room. He'd tell me all of his stories of where he used to live, or his old school. I thought everything he said was amazing. Every thing he did, everything he knew. Every word that was spoken was so incredibly important to me... Honestly._

_But the best times were when we would sit together, silently. Our bodies close, but our friendship closer. We were the infamous pairing... "those inseparable kids." He was my best friend, you know? I know how people say those kind of things so lightly... But if that wasn't friendship, I'll never know what is. _

_So honestly...believe me when I say it._

_I never thought I would've betrayed him. _

-

_The first time we met was on my 6th birthday. _

_I was bawling for the longest time until he found me, because of something stupid. I can't remember exactly what it was... maybe my parents had gone out to the store and left me at home by myself, or maybe I was still too short to reach the top drawer._

_Whatever the issue was, I felt so lost in that moment. I was confused in the way that little kids are, unable to understand anything going on. I suppose every kid has their moment of sheer terror... that moment where your mind spins out of control and come up with the craziest ideas. _

_Somehow, I had found my way to Rosemary's Hill, stumbling through clumps of dirt and rotten wood. Eventually, I only made it half-way. I didn't get to the top. I couldn't. So I sat down and cried even more. So much that the world became blurry with tears._

_I never even noticed the little boy standing before me. _

_"What are you doing?" he asked me. _

_He should've said something more sympathetic...You know, something like "What's wrong?" or "What are you crying?" Somehow, though, his blunt question was enough for me. _

_In between snot running down my nose and salt-filled tears coursing down my face, I managed to push out some form of an explanation._

_"It's all right,"he told me, fiddling with a fox-tail. "Don't cry anymore." I watched as he sat beside me on the moss-covered rock, staring up at the shifting clouds. "I'll be your best friend...so you don't have to be sad."_

_When I heard those words, my heart felt a little lighter. A little stronger. A little more at ease. I was just glad to have someone on my side. Someone that would just _be _with me... It was all I really wanted. _

_So on that cloudy morning, a piece of my heart was reserved for that boy._

-

"Sakamura."

A boy turned around, his dark hair getting in the way of sea-blue eyes. The shinigami brushed it away with annoyance, sighing under his breath. "Chief," he replied.

"Deliver this to Room #311." It was an order. The hooded figure handed a clean envelope to the shinigami, the headquarters seal visible on the back.

Sakamura took it automatically, and snuck a quick glance at the cover. Only one word was printed on the envelope, standing out in bold, black letters.

**Hinako.**

-

_If he hadn't come...if he hadn't sat down beside me, comforting me...would I still be sitting half-way up that hill? Crying silently to myself as the harsh wind picked up against my pale skin? Even now, I have no idea what I would've done...had I not met Dawson. _

_Dawson Hall...that was his name. A boy who came from America with his family. Brown hair that looked red in the sun, but golden against his pure green eyes. He was seven years old. The _one_ year that he had on me just made him seem even wiser. He knew words that I did not. Like 'ironic' and 'compact.' _

_We had a connection that I guess you could say is rare in this world... People yearn for it so much that they would die to have a taste... _

-

"Was it love?"

Mitsuki leaned in closer, her eyes shining in obvious interest. She had been listening intently for the last ten minutes, soaking in every detail. It made her feel warm inside that Hinako would choose to share her story, since a shinigami's past was something close and personal. In the back of her mind, Mitsuki knew that the story would have an unpleasant ending. It never stopped her from hoping, though.

"I...don't know," said Hinako honestly."Maybe it was... Or maybe love's too complicated to understand." The smile was still visible, but it looked unnaturally tight against Hinako's pale skin. She shrugged lightly, saying, "But who knows, right? ...Maybe in my next life I will."

Mitsuki bit her lip softly in confusion. "In your...next life? But I thought that all Shinigami are..."

"I know," Hinako said. "But maybe the Shinigami World _isn't_ the last stop for us. It's like someone pressed the 'pause' button, and time is just..._still_. Maybe this isn't a dead end...Maybe there's more."

Mitsuki fingered the bed-spread that she was sitting on and finally allowed her eyelids to flutter closed. _Was _there more? She wanted to believe that there was...But what would she do with the chance to live again?

All of a sudden, Takuto's face flashed in her mind. She saw his soft smile, and could feel her pulse quickening abruptly. His hand against hers, his hand _in _hers, that gaze, and those...eyes.

With the chance to live again, what would she do?

What would she _do_?

"Mitsuki?"

She blinked in a split-moment, and raised a hand defensively to touch her neck. Hinako was staring, and it was a suspicious one too.

Mitsuki waited out the awkward moments, allowing herself to feel embarrassed. In the end, the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. "So I...um, what -- what happened next in the story?"

"...Well,"

-

_I remember thinking for the longest time that Dawson had a wonderful life. Mrs. Hall was the kindest woman I've ever known -- even to this day. She had a chronic smile on her face, that it soon became contagious. _

_Dawson's older sister, Ami, was smart and beautiful and everything else I longed to be. Unlike other siblings, the two rarely fought. And even then, it was only over trivial things._

_Dawson had family. He had friends. He had a home, love, and care._

_But I never knew that Dawson was abused. _

-

Today, he concluded, was not a good day.

For eight hours, Sakamura had been boxed in a musty office with a flickering bulb and no windows. Hell, there hadn't even been decent wallpaper. So when the Shinigami had been given a task that _didn't _involve straining his eyes on fine, black print...well, he was pretty satisfied. For the first time in a while, he took his damn sweet time walking through the hallway grounds. The Shinigami was in no rush to return to that cramped-up office.

The envelope he was holding was neatly sandwiched between his thumb and fore-finger. Every now and then it reminded Sakamura of where he was going to: Hinako's dorm.

Now there were many things that came to his mind when he thought '_Hinako_'... Annoying, for one. Immature. Idiotic... Really, the possibilities were endless. But there was one particular moment that Sakamura's mind rewound to where Hinako expressed none of these qualities. It was during the week before, when Hinako had cornered him in the hallway and confronted him with a question.

_"Are you always this mean to Mitsuki?"_

His answer had been 'No.' After all, it was the truth. There was just something about Kouyama Mitsuki that he couldn't explain. A tweak or twinge in her personality that made her different from all the others, and that made his heart wobble. Sakamura had been mulling over it for a while now, and now he believed to have finally figured out why.

...She made him want to be different. She made him want to confess everything wrong with his life. He wanted to protect her, to embrace her. Was that so wrong? It was such a different feeling and he didn't know what to think of it. Mitsuki made him want to become something better.

_To change._

He knew that much. He also knew that when he had seen her through the glass of the apartment window...when he had seen her there laughing with her subject, Takuto whatever-his-name-was, Sakamura's chest felt like it had been tightly bandaged -- throbbing with every moment passed.

He'd heard about this feeling. Probably from a bunch of girly teenagers, but he had heard of it nonetheless...

_Love_.

But...oh _please_. That puppy-eyed, soul-sucking, holiday-devoted, despairing emotion that the world had become victim to?

He would pass.

Love was bad news... And even if, in some alternate universe, he _was _feeling the emotion for a certain brown-eyed girl, it would only get in the way of his duties as a Shinigami.

Sakamura scowled under his breath, walking a little more forcefully on the innocent tiled floor.

And to pile more shit on the concept, Hinako had accused him of being jealous! Well...okay, so that was a lie. She'd hadn't actually _accused_ him... But he swore that she was thinking it, with that maniacal little smirk on her face...

But he most certainly was _not _jealous... Never. Besides...what could love possibly do for Sakamura besides give him another reason to remorse when it failed?

'_Nothing_,' he told himself bitterly. '_Absolutely nothing_.'

If he could only stop thinking about her...if he could just stop _caring_ about her...

...But at this point, it seemed impossible.

-

_At age six, I didn't understand what the word _'abuse' _meant... All I knew was that Dawson had blotches of purple on his face -- things that they called bruises. __Some days it was worse than others, but I never bothered. I assumed it was nothing...he had probably just slipped down a hill. The purple marks gradually disappeared, so I though maybe his mom had told him to stop being so rough. Dawson would be okay, I told myself. Dawson wouldn't get hurt anymore._

_I didn't expect to be wrong. A little girl usually doesn't. _

_It happened on a foggy morning, just like the day Dawson and I had first met. My 7th birthday was around then, which would mark our one-year friendship. I can't believe it ended so soon. _

_I was skipping along the short walk to his house, and the only thing I could hear was my feet brushing against the ground. It was normally a pretty empty road, but even the wind was silent that day. But as I drew closer to Dawson's house, I began to hear the sound of a piano being played inside. It's melody was soft and sweet, and I bobbed my head along to the notes. _

_Mrs. Hall, I thought with a smile. _

_I stood at the doorstep like I had done a million times over. The rugged mat beneath my feet was so old that the 'Welcome' sign was hardly visible. I dug my toe into the 'W,' hoping to revive it. _

_Muffled voices in the background stopped me from petting the mat any further. It sounded like Dawson and his father, so I smiled. I didn't even think about how violent the conversation sounded._

_Clutching the doorknob, I let myself in._

_I think that in that very moment, it finally occurred to me in the back of mind that something was off. Something was wrong. _

_I could feel my face prickling with that... sensational feeling you get. That feeling of knowing something's going to happen next, but _not _knowing at the same time._

_I would've never guessed._

_I entered the room to see Dawson was on the floor, his face burried in the ground. His father yelled something. Brutal, harsh, but I couldn't make it out. Something wet and messy was all over Dawson's cheeks as he looked up at me, his eyes desperate. _

_Tears, I thought... Were those tears? I had never seen Dawson cry in all the time that I'd known him. But...he _was_ now. I saw it, even if he didn't want me to. I saw it, and I'll never forget... The look on his face made me want to cry instead._

_I thought I heard Dawson call out my name. A quick 'Hinako' that disappeared into thin air. _

_Maybe it sounded so faint because I was already backing away. __I could only concentrate on the ringing in my head, and the piano. The song started to pick up speed, and Mrs. Hall's fingers jabbed quickly at the keys. The cheerful sound was long gone -- replaced by a bitter bridge in the song. She probably couldn't hear her husband beating her son over all the music...she was lost in the music. But if she hadn't been playing piano at that moment, what would've happened? Would she be lying on the ground, motionless as well?_

_It wasn't until I felt the moisture seeping through my sun dress that I realized I was crying. I didn't know what to do. __Things started blurring out of proportion, and the curse words were scaring me. I didn't know what most of them meant, but it felt like I wasn't hearing anything else. I wasn't sure if it was from tears, or from the wave of nausea, or just that moment of me witnessing everything. Things that had gone wrong with Dawson's life, and the things I had never noticed. _

_Mr. Hall was leaning down towards Dawson's throat, b__ut that was the last thing I saw. I turned on my heels and ran. _

_I know what you're thinking. Dawson would've given his life for me, yet I couldn't repay the favor._

_Instead of jumping to defend the only person I'd _ever _cared about...Instead of protecting the person who I'd sworn to stay with forever..._

_Instead of anything, I ran._

_God, I ran so fast. It's hard to remember now, but I just...I felt like if I just pushed a little further, then maybe I could lift myself into the air and fly to a place where nobody would find me. _

_Little flashbacks kept on dancing in my head... I heard his mother's fingers flying across the piano, the sharp notes quickening like rain. I heard yelling, screaming...most of them Dawson's. My heartbeat thumped against my skin and the slick wind whipped across my face. __My feet were growing tired. _

_Too tired to fly, I thought. __Too tired to do anything, but I still keep running a__way from the one I loved. _

_It was a moment and a mistake that I would never forget. _

Guilt _would never let me._

-

Sakamura let his gaze flicker to the ground as Hinako's story came to a close.

Something malicious was twisting inside his gut and slowly making it's way deeper. Why the hell would Hinako...? The shinigami let his own question die out, not particularly wanting to finish it.

For once, Sakamura had been the one to eavesdrop. And now he wished that he had slipped the envelope beneath the doorway and turned on his heels. Overhearing Hinako's conversation had only enlightened him to how tragic her life was. How stupid that she had to die... When he thought about it, Hinako didn't deserve to be a Shinigami -- advocate of death. She didn't deserve to be punished.

He clenched the letter in his fist and leaned against the solid door. It felt cold through the fabric of his shirt, but the boy was too angry to notice. Riled up, but he didn't know why. An unexplainable rage slowly filling up inside...

Was it for Hinako? Or was it because Sakamura realized that once again, there was another person gone by with a false smile on their face. Another person who would pretend to smile through it all, no matter what was thrown their way.

Hinako and Mitsuki...they were alike more than they realized.

Sakamura swallowed, his shoulders tensing up unnaturally... He just wanted to get away.

Shoving the envelope beneath the door, the shinigami strode away from the door before he had the chance to hear anything else.

* * *

REVIEWS: **R**eally **E**xtra **V**ery **I**mportant **E**specially **W**ild **S**tuff

Okay, so that doesn't make much sense. In other words, reviews give me wings and I love them :) Those who do will be eternally appreciated.


	10. A Bittersweet Feeling

**Wings for Mitsuki**

** Renzie** It's been 5 months since the last update nn; Haha. Okay, I know it's been a while. There are a bunch of people who have left very encouraging comments, and everyone had such nice things to say in their reviews ;-; Uwaa, it's leaves me fuzzy inside. Seriously. But I'm sure by now, everyone's forgotten what this story's about xD Hehe. Just look back a chapter or two if you need to remember. Other than that, please enjoy the next chapter!

** Disclaimer ** Mitsuki and Takuto are not my characters. They were created somewhere in Arina Tanemura's brain :D And thank God for that.

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Bitter-sweet Feeling**

Takuto wondered what had possibly convinced him to take it out of the corner.

After so long, the strings had worn down and dust had compiled on the sides. It hardly looked like a guitar that, at one point, had been played and cleaned so often that it could be dubbed religion.

The boy let his fingers graze the strings once, emitting a low strum throughout the apartment. It was a satisfying yet bitter-sweet feeling.

When Takuto had first found out that he had throat cancer, it took him days to figure out what to do. Everything he saw, he looked at with a changed perspective that was somehow...desperate for time. Desperate for life. The world seemed so tilted, but everyone continued on with their routine. Was Takuto the only one who noticed how ugly the world looked now? It was as if he was the unlucky kid whom no one wanted to be. The one who's dreams were shot down before they even had a chance to take off. Why was it that the one thing he loved was taken away? Singing had become a part of him, and ripping it away was like a slow and painful death. On that day...for the first time in years, he cried.

The doctors tried to reassure him that he could still play music. After all, Takuto had always accompanied his voice with the guitar. It was like the soul mate to his vocal cords. But once he left those hospital doors, even the instrument he used to love became painful. Something was missing... something was gone. His voice...why couldn't he use it? How could he possibly play the guitar with that instinct of wanting to inhale air and exhale a melody...while knowing it was impossible?

Even on the streets, when he heard the sound of a musician singing along with their guitar, Takuto grew jealous inside.

It wasn't fair, this disease. It wasn't fair, and he knew for certain that life never was... Countless times, he had remembered asking himself what he had done to receive such cruelty. By the time the Shinigami Mitsuki came around, he had already been expecting some kind of punishment... in this case, it was death.

He had been thinking to himself, '_At least after this, I won't have to deal with it any longer_.' A twisted form of optimism, but who could blame him?

Strangely enough, ever since that time, those negative thoughts had stayed clear of Takuto's mindset. He hadn't even thought about his throat cancer until today, when he finally picked up his guitar.

Strumming a simple melody that he had been subconsciously working on, the boy fixed his gaze on the floor. How could it be, that even as the date of his death got closer, Takuto hadn't experienced so much as a sleepless night? Why was it that he hadn't felt that kind of raw loneliness for so long?

The boy abruptly stopped playing the guitar.

The realization came to him easily: It was because of Mitsuki.

Not simply because she was another person, but because it was _her_.

Takuto laughed a little to himself then, the irony getting the best of him. A God of Death, making a human feel more alive then they have for the past months? It seemed impossible...

Yet he smiled knowingly, and continued to play.

-

The sidewalk was a dark gray from the rain that showered the night before. This was the first thing on Mitsuki's mind as she returned from the Shinigami world.

Apparently, it was that time of year when the season didn't matter, and the weather took on mood swings of its own. After all, it was only two days ago that she had been listening to Takuto's complaints about how hot the weather was. They had had to shut the window blinds to prevent the tiny apartment room from heating up any further. Even more so, the air conditioning had broke the previous week, and the sticky humidity continued to exist. The two of them had resorted to fanning themselves with magazines, afraid of going out into the hot weather to buy a _real_ fan.

Mitsuki laughed, remembering how funny Takuto had looked with his hair pinned up in all the weird places that his hair tie couldn't catch.

With a nostalgic smile on her face, the Shinigami floated to the 5th floor of the apartment. Clearly, she abandoned the idea of an elevator. As her feet touched the pavement, Mitsuki recognized the tone she was hearing as that of a guitar. She stopped to press her ear against the door, and quieted her breathing so that it was barely audible.

Her first thought was: I knew a thief would get into Takuto's apartment! He never even locks the door, that stupid guy.

But then she realized, a twinge of color coming to her cheeks, that maybe she was the foolish one. A thief breaking inside to play their guitar? Maybe not.

Of course it would have to be Takuto. He did have a guitar in the corner of his room, didn't he? She had seen it there once, but had never paid it much attention. After all, the guy had never even taken it out before. Or at least...not in front of her. Mitsuki wondered why he had kept it hidden away.

Even though she could hear him from the outside of the apartment, what Mitsuki saw when she entered the room still surprised her. Maybe not the fact that Takuto was playing music, but more of _how_ he was playing. The boy was sitting there so naturally, his form bending perfectly with the curves of the guitar. His fingertips strummed gracefully with so much passion behind them, as if music had been his oxygen for a long, long time. His eyes were focused on his fingers alone.

There was something about the Takuto in that moment, back-lit by the clouded yet bright sky, that made him seem like a single moment, captured on a canvas. If she were an artist, this would be the one to paint, Mitsuki thought to herself. Entranced by the scene, she leaned against the door frame and allowed it to support her weightless figure.

"M-Mitsuki!"

Takuto's exclamation was off guard and taken aback, but the Shinigami was almost more surprised than he was. She quickly stood up straight at the sound of her name.

"Oh...Takuto. Um, I --" She clasped her hands together, unsure of what to do with them. "Sorry..." The Shinigami tucked a piece of hair behind her left ear, and wondered why she was feeling so embarrassed about walking in on him. He had only been playing an instrument. It wasn't really anything to be apologetic about. But somehow, that image on the canvas burned into her mind, and it seemed as if she had interrupted something special. Something that she couldn't quite understand. And for that, she didn't have the right to be standing there.

"Dummy," Takuto said, laughing at her flustered face. "I haven't seen you in two days, and you can't even give me a proper greeting?"

Her gaze had been still in that small moment, but she recovered by promptly sticking out her tongue like she always did. "Who're you calling 'Dummy', Dummy?"

He smiled then, a warm smile that reminded Mitsuki that the place she belonged was here. There could be no other.

The two of them talked for a long time, as if they had been separated for more than just two days. Mitsuki was relieved for Takuto's usual teasing, and she was also relieved that he hadn't said anything about her interruption. He took the time to ruffle her hair as usual, and for this tiny gesture, she was also glad.

-

Takuto felt a certain satisfaction as he fondly messed up his Shinigami's hair, and was given "the mad face" in return. It was just the little quirk of a smile that gave her away. He knew she could never truly be mad at him at times like these, and perhaps that was why he found her angry face to be so cute.

But more than that, he was just glad that Mitsuki was back. The time passed without her had an empty presence that was always filled when she was around. At this point, he felt relieved at the sight of her face.

"Oh, that's right." Takuto removed a box from the fridge and slid it to her across the counter. "Sesame cakes."

It was amazing how quickly Mitsuki's face could produce a smile. She opened the styrofoam box and breathed in the sweet aroma. Her features fell into a blissful mush. "Mmm...smells so good! Thanks, Takuto!"

"No problem. There was a huge sale on them anyway at the store."

The cost reduction made him look so proud of himself that she had to laugh. "So you're secretly a cheap-o!"

"Eh?! Say that again, you freeloader."

"What! No way -- I've been helping to clean your tiny apartment for weeks! Look at that pile over there. And do you see that over there? And that over _there_! Sparkling clean." Smiling, she made a victory peace sign with her fingers.

"Okay, okay," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I take back the freeloader comment. Now eat your food."

She took a bite of the sweet dessert with satisfaction, and Takuto walked over to the couch to pack the guitar back into it's case. She watched him do this diligently, with such a careful grace.

"Takuto," she said to his back, "I never knew you could play the guitar so well. I've never heard you play until today!"

He paused for a split moment, and stared at the music sheets laid out before him, waiting to be put away. His arm stiffened, along with his shoulders, before he agreed distantly with a single, "Yea."

That should've been her first hint, but Mitsuki only continued on to ask, "Why did you stop playing? It seems like something that you really love. Ah -- only from what I've seen, of course."

She was about to go on about how she had never seen him look as happy as he did there, with the guitar in his arms. That was until Mitsuki caught the flash of hurt in his eyes when he turned around.

"Yea, I stopped playing," he said in a soft voice. "...I thought you knew all that. Mitsuki, when I got throat cancer and had to give up singing, I just...couldn't play anymore. There was something missing." He shrugged, as if to brush it all off as something unimportant. Mitsuki couldn't help but see that as defense. "When your dream dies," he explained, "it's _painful_."

The girl swallowed, feeling like she was on the spot beneath his gaze. His eyes were consumed with sadness. Or was that disappointment? ...Because of her? Mitsuki widened her eyes, somehow confused about how the events had played out. She had only meant it to be a harmless conversation topic...not this.

Mitsuki had known that the cause of his death was throat cancer, but she hadn't known that singing was his dream. There was never anything written about a Human's dreams or passions in the Shinigami report. Merely the cause of death and the date in which their soul was to be retrieved. She hadn't known the passion that lay hidden behind his fingers or the desire he had to sing. What kind of dream is it, when it's shot down so early?

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't know." The girl was answered with silence, which only made her more uncertain. "Takuto--"

"Don't worry about it." He said the words with a smile, but Mitsuki knew better. "You didn't know. Really, I'm not bothered by it anymore."

Maybe her face didn't seem to believe him. Because Takuto said her name softly, and drew her into his arms. Mitsuki wondered in the back of her mind why _she_ was the one being comforted, when Takuto was the one hurting. He was _hurting_. She wanted to cry for the pain that he was feeling then. Knowing that his past had been ignited by the flame she had lit made Mitsuki's heart ache in regret. All because of her. Because of her stupid ways...

As if she had somehow been saying her thoughts out loud, Takuto reassured her the way he always did.

"Nothing's your fault, Mitsuki...You know that, don't you?"

He stroked the top of her head, and she wasn't surprised to feel water in the corner of her eye. Somehow, he always knew.

-

Sakamura floated through the air of the Human world, letting the wind brush the surface of his cheeks as he flew. It wasn't often he visited places outside of his office, let alone the Human world. But today, he made an exception.

A small part of Sakamura still wondered why he was there, but the majority of his mind -- and heart -- already knew. This was something that the Shinigami had to do, even if every inch of him resisted.

He cringed suddenly as a blob of pollution wafted up his nose. Blegh.

Sakamura had been mulling over the subject for days now. Kouyama Mitsuki. The girl whom he couldn't seem to control his thoughts over, the girl who made him feel inexperienced in actually...caring. He didn't know anyone else who he felt this way around...

But damn. Sakamura gritted his teeth, silently cursing himself for falling into such a trap. Why him, seemed to be the question. Was God trying to punish the Shinigami by forcing him to fall in love? Or maybe it was just some kind of entertainment for the higher world.

If Sakamura fell in love, eventually he would fall out. And he didn't want to experience that. All those years, he'd been a good Shinigami. A great one, even... All the elders agreed.

So what had he ever done wrong?

The Shinigami licked his lips, chapped by the blazing wind. He could see the apartment on the horizon now, it's white rooftop peeking out from all of the others. The Shinigami closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath of air. He could almost feel the melancholy filling up his lungs.

"If I did something wrong...anything at all," he muttered silently. "I didn't have to be punished this way."

The thought never occurred to him that...maybe his love wasn't a punishment after all.

Maybe it was a gift.

-

When he stepped inside the apartment, Sakamura immediately conjured up old memories of his Human life. Everything looked so...tangible. So alive. So real, but he was somewhere lost between invisibility and reality.

Everything in the apartment brought up a different memory. Memories he hadn't thought of in the longest time. Even common things like the clock on the wall reminded him of some incident of his old life. The Shinigami shook his head, now knowing why coming to the Human World was a bad thing. There wasn't a single good memory in Sakamura's past life, so nothing from this world could ever remind him for the better.

But this time, he made an exception. He was here to find Kouyama Mitsuki, and to... to what?

The Shinigami's gaze flickered to the wall, and he began squinting his eyes as if there was a fine print written there. What would he do when he came face to face with Mitsuki? Confess his undying love?

...No. Definitely not. They hardly even talked to each other, yet Sakamura already had these feelings. He stifled a groan of annoyance, and brushed a hand through his jet black hair. It seemed all wrong now. Yet he was already in her apartment(or rather, her subject's apartment), and there was no way he was turning back.

So he would do it. God dammit! He would convey to her, somehow, that he cared about her. Even if it was in the slightest hint that she couldn't even pick up on. He had to do it.

Or else, the burning in his heart would never go away.

That was probably worse than rejection.

Sakamura stepped further into the plush carpet, approaching a room who's door was closed. He knew that he shouldn't have been snooping out someone's house, but he was looking for Mitsuki, and wouldn't stop until he found her. Maybe it was all that pep-talk to himself about this and that. Whatever it was, he grasped the golden knob in his hand and shifted it to the right.

"What are you doing?"

The Shinigami yelped -- a jerk reaction. He spun around, heart beating fast from the scare. A boy stood at the opposite end of the room. Instead of being angry at someone for barging into his home, like Sakamura had predicted, the Human only looked curious as to why a stranger would be wandering around his house.

'This,' Sakamura thought, 'Must be her subject.'

He had seen the boy briefly during that one visit with Hinako, but now his face was up-close. He had clear brown eyes mounted on a soft face, and dark hair was pulled back by a lavender ribbon...Nothing out of the ordinary, really.

But the Shinigami remembered Mitsuki's illuminated expression as she laughed with this person, and he seethed inside.

Sakamura wondered what it was about this guy that made him so special. Just some kid with a purple bow in his hair. A boy who only had so long to live would never make a difference. These thoughts were crude and bitter, and Sakamura flushed lightly. Maybe it was just jealousy talking now.

"What are you doing?" Takuto repeated again, wondering if the stranger had entered the wrong apartment number by accident. However, the slight glow around the edges of the person's figure was a dead give away, and Takuto had a feeling that this wasn't just an ordinary visitor. "You... a Shinigami?"

Sakamura never answered the question, and instead narrowed his eyes in a silent glare.

"Kouyama Mitsuki. I don't suppose you'd know where she is, would you?" The bitterness in that voice was lightly coated, but apparent in a patronizing way. The wheels in Takuto's head were turning as he tried to figure out why the Shinigami seemed to dislike him so much.

"Well," Takuto said, "She left a half an hour ago to check out the new band playing at the Coffee House... She probably won't be back for a while, so I guess you can...wait here if you want."

"Hmph...so she's out, is she?" The Shinigami twitched, irritated that he had come all the way out to this world in order to wait in some Human's apartment.

"So...who exactly are you?" Takuto asked with widened eyes.

Sakamura gave him the snide once-over, in favor of provoking the guy. "I'm just someone from the Shinigami World... Close friends with Mitsuki," he said, shrugging nonchalantly. That was a flat out lie, but a little one never hurt anybody. Sakamura couldn't help but play that game again...

He glanced at Takuto through the corner of his eye, but all the boy said was, "Oh really?"

"Yea, pretty much." Sakamura floated around the apartment, running through various schemes in his head to rile the guy up. The thought of Mitsuki liking this boy was making things blurry, and the lies continued to spew out with only one goal in mind: to make Kira Takuto mad.

"We can talk about anything to each other. I guess we're at that point in our relationship." Sakamura heaved a sigh. "It's too bad she has a duty as a Shinigami. We could be together way more if you weren't in the way."

He saw Takuto twitch visibly, and knew that the words were getting to him. Everything that came out of the Shinigami's mouth was probably stinging him somewhere.

Sakamura glanced innocently at the guy. "...I mean, don't you always wonder what she's _doing_ when she's not keeping watch over you? When she takes those periodic breaks to come back to the Shinigami World? I can tell you that in every moment she's not at your side doing her _job_, she's with me."

The lie stung Sakamura a little as he said it. Maybe because it was a lie, but he _wanted_ it to be the truth. He put his heart ache away, knowing that he just needed a little more to finally put Kira Takuto off the edge.

"Heck, with the way things are going now, I'd say we're already more than friends." That one was true...on his side at least. Sakamura smiled bitterly at the thought, and floated towards the subject with intent.

"You know...we're together all the time, but she still puts on such a sad face when she has to leave me." Sakamura leaned over and whispered into Takuto's ear like a secret, "And when she makes such a sad face like that, I can't help but kiss her."

It was then that Takuto broke.

"You..._asshole_!" Takuto clenched his fist at his side, gritting his teeth to stop the shaking. '_I should really punch him_,' he thought. '_Teach that bastard a lesson_.' The rage welling up inside of him was completely out of the blue, yet he couldn't stop it. He was just so...angry! It was frustrating, the way this Shinigami was talking about Mitsuki. Like she actually liked that brat. As if she was his...

...was she?

Suddenly, Takuto's anger faded into something else. The possibility that...maybe Mitsuki really did love this guy. For all Takuto knew, everything the Shinigami said could be the truth. When he thought about it, it made complete sense. Mitsuki was a Shinigami. A God of Death... For her to fall in love with a human would be impossible...

He shook his head, cursing himself for even thinking about something like that. When had he started to think about Mitsuki that way? When did he start to care about who she was with or who she cared about?

It was none of his business. _She_ was none of his business.

The thought made Takuto feel at his limit. The pain he felt now was frigid and empty, and not at all unfamiliar. Somehow, the heartache he was experiencing rivaled that of the pain he had felt when he first found out about his throat. Thinking about Mitsuki being with someone else was like... he didn't know anymore. He just knew that he needed her. Not in the way that a friend needed a friend, but in the way that...if someone ripped her away now, he'd never be the same.

And the only thing that could make him feel that way was **love**.

It's funny how Humans realize their truth through pain.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated. Express yourself :o  



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